


snapshots and lace

by potstickermaster



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/F, Kara is a photographer, Lena is a model, Probably ooc, and Kara Danvers is dense and weird, are you even surprised, as usual, ft lots of lingerie, i don't know what this is, in what IC hell does Lena Luthor have game anyway, in which Lena Luthor has game, nah it's really OOC, photographer/model au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-04-20
Packaged: 2019-10-22 05:19:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 38,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17656673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/potstickermaster/pseuds/potstickermaster
Summary: And, well, in simple terms, Kara thinks Lena is gorgeous. In more complicated ones, she’ll start spouting superlatives that describe beauty, because that was how Lena looked—no, is. Lena is beautiful. The impact of this specific shoot to her career aside, Kara may or may not have accepted the project just to meet Lena Luthor.She totally did not. That would be insane.OR an au where Kara is a photographer and Lena is a model





	1. rush of your skin

“You’re nervous,” Winn notes.

Kara stops fidgeting with the collar of the dark blue checkered button-down she is wearing to leave the top buttons undone. She glares at the man standing beside her in the elevator.

“I’m not nervous,” she huffs. She shoves her hands into the pockets of her bomber jacket.

Winn chuckles. “Sure,” he says, looking at the closed elevator doors. “Never mind the fact this is a big deal considering Cat Grant herself requested—”

“Do you have a point?” Kara grumbles as she pushes her glasses up, until she realizes she was wearing contacts today. She always did on shoot days, and it makes her feel uneasy but this was practical. She scratches the bridge of her nose instead.

“I’m just saying,” Winn hums. “It’s pretty normal to be nervous.”

“I’m not,” Kara repeats, more firmly this time.

Winn just hums and nods. Kara mumbles under her breath, trying to come up with an explanation for her behavior. She _isn’t_ nervous. Excited, perhaps, considering this is going to be the biggest shoot of her entire year-and-a-half photography career—for Cat’s newest line of luxury lingerie no less, a business she ventured in out of a whim years ago yet managed to become one of the top worldwide. Unsurprising for Cat, really. It also means Kara has great expectations to stand up to—her client is Cat Grant herself, after all, the mentor she looked up to when she was still working for CatCo Media and the person who has driven Kara to pursue professional photography.

Okay. Well, maybe she is a _bit_ nervous. She chalks it up to the two cups of coffee she had half an hour prior, just to keep herself awake for the 6:30am call time. She’s never gotten used to them.

The private elevator finally opens to the living room of the penthouse the marketing team has rented for the shoot itself. It wouldn’t be her first time to shoot clothing, but it’s the first time she will be shooting underwear _and_ with a big budget. It shows: The penthouse is beautiful—modern and spacious, almost intimidating. The polished marble floors echo with the footsteps of everyone already milling about, bringing in the lights and equipment she will be using. Winn excuses himself to check with Brainy on the monitors. The photographer looks away from the grandness of the penthouse and finds Nia, the marketing manager, by the dining area, talking to another brunette. Kara calls out for her and takes off her beanie as she walks to them.

“Hey, good morning, Kara,” Nia greets as Kara comes up to them. “Have you had coffee yet?” She asks, gesturing to the espresso machine set up on the dining table, lined up with cups and little pots of sugar and cream.

Kara chuckles and shakes her head. “Thanks, but if I have another one I might get a heart attack.”

The brunette with Nia laughs. “Ah, I feel you. You’d think I’d be used to these 6AM call times but no,” she says, lifting a cup of coffee in her hand.

“Oh, this is Jess by the way,” Nia chimes in, gesturing to the brunette. Kara offers her hand for the woman to shake. “She’s Lena’s manager,” Nia continues.

“It’s really nice to meet you,” Jess says as she shakes Kara’s hand. “Cat herself said so many nice things about you.”

Kara looks down bashfully and laughs. “Thank you. Uh, speaking of, where is Cat?”

“She’s in Metropolis to meet with a couple of sponsors for the launch, so it’s just me today,” Nia explains. Kara nods in understanding. “Anyway, I should introduce you to Lena. She’s in hair and make-up.”

 _Lena._ Lena Luthor. The nervousness Kara denies she feels makes itself known again. She has never really heard of Lena before; Nia had explained, during Kara’s briefing, that she’s relatively new to the scene with only eight or so months of modelling experience, but she’s slowly getting picked up by numerous brands and publications. It is easy to understand why. Kara’s done her research—Lena Luthor is, in simple terms, strikingly beautiful, with sharp facial features and gorgeous curves carved by the some unknown god. Kara couldn’t really find the words to describe her when Nia showed her some photos during the briefing, and only managed to congratulate the marketing team for bagging such a stunning model.

And, well, in simple terms _,_ Kara thinks she’s gorgeous. In more complicated ones, she’ll start spouting superlatives that describe beauty, because that was how Lena looked—no, is. Lena _is_ beautiful. The impact of this specific shoot to her career aside, Kara may or may not have accepted the project just to meet Lena Luthor.

She totally did _not._ That would be insane.

Kara follows Nia and Jess as the two talk about outfits and the possibility of another collection for next season. They arrive at a closed door on the other side of the penthouse labeled _Dressing Room_ in a laminated piece of cardboard. Nia knocks before opening the door.

“Hey guys!” She greets, and three voices echo back the greeting. Nia walks in and invites Jess and Kara inside. It’s a makeshift dressing room in a bedroom, Kara realizes; there are briefcases of make-up and racks of lingerie on one corner, and on one side, her back to the newly-arrived group and facing the dresser mirror, is a dark-haired woman being worked on by two others. Kara couldn’t see her face just yet, as one of the women working on her hair was in front of her, blocking her reflection in the mirror.

“So guys, this is our photographer, Kara,” Nia introduces. “Kara, this is Siobhan and Leslie for hair, makeup, and styling,” she says, gesturing to the brunette and blonde pair working on the raven-haired woman in front of the mirror. The pair nod at Kara in acknowledgement. “And this is Lena, our model.”

Kara finally focuses on the woman, who turns to Kara as Siobhan and Leslie stop their motions with their hair curler and makeup brush. Lena is wearing a white fluffy robe, her dark hair partially curled, her lips colored a bright red. For a moment, Kara tries to remember if she is as breathtaking as this in the photos Nia had shown her.

If Kara thought she was gorgeous in photos, well. Lena Luthor in person was something else entirely. Awe-striking, and Kara thinks it would feel just like this if she ever met Aphrodite herself.

Scratch that. This woman might _just_ be Aphrodite.

“Lovely to finally meet you, Kara,” Lena greets, holding her hand out towards the blonde. She taps her nose with her free hand. “Love the nose ring.”

It takes a moment for Kara to shake her offered hand. It’s soft, and the blonde wonders if she’s like this everywhere.

_What?_

“You look much more beautiful in person,” Kara replies, almost breathless and completely forgoing the compliment about her piercing. She furrows her eyebrows when she realizes what she just said. “Um. Hi. Nice to meet you too.”

Lena’s blood-red lips curl up in amusement. “Do you say that to every model you meet?” She asks, hand lingering on Kara’s before she pulls back. Kara clenches her fist in the air, Lena’s warmth making her palm tingle.

“Fair assumption,” Kara laughs, pushes her nonexistent glasses, and ends up dragging her fingertip from the bridge of her nose to her piercing. “But no.”

Lena smiles knowingly but doesn’t say anything. Instead, she faces the mirror again, and Kara meets her sharp gaze through it. Siobhan returns to work on her hair, momentarily breaking their eye contact as she stands in front of Lena. Kara takes a slow breath like she was collecting her bearings, and Nia clears her throat.

“So. We’ve already talked about this in separate briefings for you both but here are the boards for your reference,” she says, taking the black binders sitting on the table nearby and handing them to Kara, Jess, and Lena. The photographer doesn’t bother opening hers, already familiar with the outfits after a lot of brainstorming and concept boarding with her team. “You might want to check that, Kara. We added, um, two more outfits. As per Cat.”

Kara looks up at her and blinks. “Oh, that’s fine,” she says easily, then finally opens the binder. Nia mentions the two new outfits are on the final spread. Kara purses her lips and nods. When she gets to the spread Nia mentioned, Kara looks up, only to meet Lena’s intense gaze through the mirror.

“What do you think?” Lena asks.

Kara clears her throat and drags her gaze from the model to Nia. “These are essentially similar to the pairs we have for the bathroom and bedroom shoot, so it’s fine. We’ll just have to tighten our timelines for today so we don’t go home too late.”

Nia smiles and nods. “Thank you. Sorry for blindsiding you, but you know Cat.” She laughs lightly. “Anyway, would you like to explain the rest of today? I gave everyone copies of the shot list but you’re the photographer.”

Kara closes the binder and tucks it under her left arm. She looks at Nia then at Lena, since she’s her focus for the day. “Right. Uh, so we have four set-ups today: living room, the bar, bathroom and bedroom—”

“Lingerie in the bar,” Lena pipes in with a tilt of her head. “I was told this was your idea.”

“Yes,” Kara replies quickly. “The campaign is for—”

“Oh, you don’t have to explain, darling,” Lena says with a wave of a perfectly manicured hand. “I was just… Well, let’s just say I like your ideas.”

She smirks. Kara swallows at it but manages a smile. She scratches the bridge of her nose and looks at Nia. “At this point we have three outfits for each set-up, but hopefully we’ll pack up around six or seven.”

Lena smiles. “Sounds good.”

Nia claps once. “Great! So…”

Kara looks at Nia then at Lena, who is still looking at her. “Right.” She gestures behind her. “We’ll be in the living room whenever you’re ready.”

“Five minutes,” Leslie drawls, not even lifting her gaze from Lena’s hair where she continues what she was doing earlier.

Kara nods and leaves the dressing room with Nia to head to the living room. “She’s something, huh?” Nia notes with a little smile, and Kara just chuckles.

“I maintain what I told you during the briefing,” the blonde says, “you bagged one gorgeous model.”

“A goddess, you mean,” Nia laughs. Kara is inclined to agree—more than just agree, even—but she only smiles. The memory of Lena smirking, so fresh in her mind, makes Kara lick her lips.

In the living room, Winn is fiddling with a monitor and a laptop. When he notices her arrival, he tells her everything is set up. The photographer hands him the binder to say there are additional two outfits but they still fit within the four set-ups they already have. Winn nods and looks the outfits, only to whistle lowly when he reaches the final spread.

“Damn,” Winn murmurs, eyeing Kara. “These are sexy by themselves already, Kara.”

“I _know_ that,” Kara mutters. She takes off her jacket and hangs it on the back of a chair in the dining room then checks the lights by the staircase where they will be starting. The image of piercing green gaze is already in her mind, however. She shakes her head to focus on work—she grabs her camera and instructs Brainy to use the warm lights instead, takes a few sample shots and checks them on the monitor to see how they come out.

“Hope you’re ready for me,” she hears behind her. Lena.                

“Of course,” Kara chirps out, eager to start. The sooner they can get this show on the road, the better. She knows more now than she did before, and shoots tend to go overboard with time if she doesn’t pace the day. She tells Winn to get the reflector ready and straps her camera over her left shoulder. She turns to Lena, only to choke on air as she finds the raven-haired woman removing her fluffy white robe to reveal a black lace kimono. The sheer material and floral design exposes the contrasting alabaster skin barely hidden by the clothing. Lena seems to smirk as Kara looks away. Winn mumbles _holy shit_ under his breath, and even Nia clears her throat loudly.

“So, where do you want me, Ms. Danvers?” Lena asks, voice amused, as she hands her robe to Siobhan. Kara didn’t even notice her or Jess join them in the room. She could think of several answers to Lena’s question though, but instead, she clears her throat once more and gestures behind her.

“Um. Kara, please,” she says. “And uh, we’re starting with the staircase. If you could just stand there so I can take some test shots.”

Lena nods. She walks to the bottom of the stairs with confidence in her every step, and she leaves a sweet scent in the air as she walks past Kara. She is as tall as Kara, the blonde notes, but she takes note of matching suede pumps Lena is wearing.

“Just test shots, right?” the model asks as she turns to face Kara.

The photographer nods and raises her camera to look into the viewfinder. Lena is just standing and looking at the camera, then puts her left hand on the banister. Jess says something that makes Lena laugh—what it was, Kara couldn’t be bothered to know, not when there was something that occupied the entirety of her attention, taking a few sample shots and looking beside her at the monitor. She looks at Nia and Winn, who are standing beside her with Jess and Siobhan. Nia hums and nods.

“Okay, we’re good,” Kara says, turning to Lena. She is surprised to find the model staring at her. “I- I’ll just let you do your thing now and we’ll see how we go from there, okay?” Kara manages, lifting her camera to eye-level again.

“Sure thing,” Lena replies, and it’s like something changes with the way she carries herself. Not that she _doesn’t_ already exude grace, but the way she angles herself towards the camera and looks away, showcasing the sharpness of her jaw and the flawless column of her neck has Kara pausing for a beat. She’s used to beautiful people. She has pretty friends, and she knows people who turn heads when they walk by.

But Lena… She’s alluring. Far beyond just the perfection of her skin or her curves or the sharpness of her gaze is a pull, like her mere presence now that she takes the spotlight commands attention.

And Kara can only obey. She continuously snaps photos, her full focus diving into the moment in front of her and her power to capture each second in photographs. Lena shifts her pose a little, this time tilting her head so she could look at the camera and lets the fingers of her right hand caress the belt of the robe she wears. It’s a small movement but one Kara tracks from behind the lens; pale, delicate fingers, against dark, even more delicate fabric.

It’s these kinds of moments that made Kara fall in love with photography—small, fleeting moments that no one else really seems to notice until they’re frozen in time in photos. One moment Lena is playing with the ribbon of the kimono, and the next she is looking down and crossing her ankles, resulting in images that are both sexy and demure, at least until Kara asks her to look up again and Lena obeys with a smirk right at the camera— _at Kara_.

Kara clears her throat and lowers her camera to glance at the monitors. Nia is typing furiously on her phone but when the blonde asks her what she thinks, she grins.

“I think we’re good here,” Kara says, barely meeting Lena’s eyes. Siobhan hands the model her robe.

“So,” Lena begins, sidling up to Kara as she puts her robe back on. “Why photography?”

Kara turns to her. The model isn’t even looking at the monitors or the output, just at Kara. “What do you mean?” The photographer asks.

“You could’ve been anything else,” Lena continues with a shrug. “A model, an actress. Why a photographer?”

Kara laughs lightly. She hopes she isn’t blushing at the almost-compliment about being a model, but all she does is focus on the monitor and click through the photos she’s gotten so far. “You know how they say life is short and fleeting and all that?”

Lena hums.

“Well. I like the idea of capturing moments within those lives,” Kara continues, pulling up one of the test shots—Lena is looking behind Kara, laughter in the corner of her eyes, her lips in a delighted smile.

Lena quirks her lips. “And photographing women in revealing underwear?”

At that, Kara ducks her head and scratches the back of her neck. “When Cat Grant herself asks you to do the shoot, you do it,” she chuckles. “Not to say I don’t want to be here! Just. You know, I—”

“I get it, darling,” Lena interrupt, her smile turning amused. “You know… You seem nervous. I’m not going to bite.” She tilts her head. “Unless you want me to, of course.”

Lena leaves then. Kara follows her every step with her gaze, her mouth agape and her throat dry at the implication of the model’s words, before shaking herself out of her reverie and sighing. “Focus, Kara,” she tells herself, patting her cheek twice, then turns to Brainy and Winn to tell them to get warmer lights for the next set.

The raven-haired model returns with Siobhan and Jess again. They seem to be talking in hushed voices, but Kara doesn’t eavesdrop, instead watches in the corner of her eye as she pretends to fiddle with her camera. Lena shrugs off her robe again, and the movement catches Kara’s fragile attention. Lena is wearing a dark green version of the previous kimono, though this one is longer. She walks towards the set-up and Kara stares— _observes—_ and ultimately decides that Lena would definitely look great against a wall, pinned—

“Against the wall?” Lena echoes.

Kara doesn’t realize she said that aloud. She blinks several times. “Uh. Yeah,” she says, nods and gestures blindly behind her to the matte black wall across the set-up they had. She glances behind it. “It’s a great contrast to focus on you,” Kara explains. She’s quite proud of the reason she conjured out of thin air but now that she is looking at Lena, she decides it’s a good creative call. She tells Winn to grab a pair of light kits and have them off to the side for a softer glow, and Kara takes a few test shots to test her on-the-fly theory.

She’s right. Or maybe, the camera just adores a perfection like Lena.

“Okay, ready?” Kara tells Lena, and the model nods slightly before doing her thing. She leans back against the wall and pulls her hair over to one shoulder, then glances down for a couple of moments. Kara snaps several photos, follows her movements as Lena plays with the ribbon of the kimono. It’s then that Kara notices the patterns of the clothing and the sheer material of it.

She notices, too, that Lena isn’t actually wearing anything underneath said kimono, just a matching pair of lace panties. She takes a sharp breath and falters for a moment.

 _That’s only logical,_ Kara tells herself, even as she carries on with her task. _It’s an underwear shoot for god’s sake._

Kara manages to take several decent photos, and she lets Lena go to prepare for the next set-up as she cools herself down with half a bottle of cold water.

“Really professional there, Kara,” she mumbles to herself. She vaguely wonders if other photographers had experienced this… Lena Luthor effect.

“The wall shots were a surprising but really great decision,” Nia notes, clicking though the shots they’ve gotten. Kara sighs, relieved that her so-called creative call turned out to be such. “I really like this one,” Nia adds, pointing to the one where Lena has her head thrown back slightly, the pale column of her throat framed nicely by dark hair, her green eyes smoldering.

Yes. Kara likes that one, too.

She checks on their third living room set-up. The leather couch is against the floor-to-ceiling windows, moved there from the middle of the room. Kara clicks her tongue. After a few moments of staring, she asks Winn to help her place it perpendicular to the window instead, so when Lena sits, the sunlight hits her profile.

Kara steps back to check how it turns out on the screen.

“Are you seeing anyone?” A voice asks.

Kara jumps a little in surprise at the voice and the question. She turns to find Lena standing beside her in her fluffy robe. “Sorry?” She asks, straightening up, hand raising to fiddle with her glasses but instead moving it to push a stray hair behind her ear when she remembers she wasn’t wearing one.

Lena shrugs and plays with the ties of her robe, striking green eyes still on Kara. “I asked if you’re seeing anyone.”

Kara blinks a couple of times, opens her mouth, closes it, then shakes her head. Lena quirks an eyebrow at her response, like she’s surprised, and Kara wants to ask why she wanted to know but Winn calls for her to say they’re ready.

“Of course,” Lena tells him for Kara, and she tugs open her robe to take it off. The blonde looks away.

“Why are you looking away?” Lena asks, amused. “You’re literally going to take photos of me wearing what’s under this robe.”

“And I will look when you’re in front of my camera,” Kara answers softly as she grips her camera and keeps her gaze on the monitor beside her.

Lena only hums and hands Jess her robe, then walks to the couch to sit. Kara finally looks her way then; she is wearing a pair of simple black bra and panties with matching suspenders, each legline like second skin around Lena’s pale thighs. The bra has delicate black lace trims that Kara takes note of as she focuses on the viewfinder to take some test shots. The contrast of the material and Lena’s skin is striking, yet again, and the light from the window only brings out the green of her eyes. From where Kara was, she could see pools of blue in them, like clear, peaceful waters.

Was it weird to want to drown in them?

Shaking her thoughts away, Kara gives the screen one final look. When she is satisfied, she locks eyes with Lena and the model nods subtly before she tucks one leg under her and leans back against the couch, giving emphasis to the stretch of the suspenders’ material and the black pumps Lena is wearing.

“Good,” Kara whispers behind the camera. She bends down a little and hums to herself as Lena seems to read her mind and faces the window, the light casting shadows that sharpen the corners of her jaw and the curves of her cleavage. She rests her arm on the back of the couch. Kara steps back and continues to snap photos, attention wholly on her task even as the temptation in front of her brings her index finger to drag it down her bottom lip, looks at the camera, and playfully winks.

_Fucking—_

Kara clears her throat softly and sighs as she makes a show of looking at her camera screen. Lena looks absolutely divine in it, but it gives no justice to the masterpiece in front of her. Kara manages a breath.

“Can you lean back a bit?” She asks, lifting her camera back to look at the viewfinder.

“Sure,” Lena says. She leans back against the couch and spreads her legs, causing Kara to jerk the camera hard against face.

“Ow,” she mumbles, lowering her camera to rub the bridge of her nose. Lena giggles.

“You’re blushing,” Lena notes, that same amusement in her voice. Kara rubs her hand against her cheeks, already feeling the warmth of said blush before she could really deny it. The model smirks, an expression straight out of some fantasy Kara most certainly isn’t thinking of right now. “Surely this isn’t the first time a woman’s spread their legs for you,” Lena muses.

“Lena!” Jess gasps. The model just shrugs and giggles again, her eyes playful as they flit from her manager with a muttered _what?_ before glancing back at Kara.

“No—I mean,” Kara clears her throat again. _God. What?_ “I just didn’t expect the, uh—” She gestures vaguely then shakes her head. Lena keeps the pose and places her hands on the couch between her legs. She taps against the leather and Kara flickers her gaze from the movement back to her camera. She shakes her head again.

“It’s good. All good. Nice pose,” Kara mumbles, just enough for Lena to hear. She licks her suddenly dry lips and focuses on taking photos of the tantalizing way Lena carries herself like that—she tilts her head again, eyes sharp and knowing boring right through the viewfinder and teasing Kara. The dangerous thoughts that brew in the back of Kara’s mind make themselves known again. She straightens and looks behind her, thankful when she finds Siobhan.

“Can you mess her hair up a bit?” She says, a little breathless, and Siobhan only raises her eyebrow but nods to follow the photographer’s request. Kara takes the moment to _breathe_. She hears Lena say something that makes Siobhan laugh, but the stylist steps back before Kara could eavesdrop.

As far as creative calls go, the messy hair was probably one of Kara’s best—and simultaneously, the worst. Sure, Lena looked stunning, devastatingly so, but it didn’t help the very unprofessional thoughts in Kara’s mind. Thankfully, she has the will to continue to take photos of the raven-haired goddess, finger working on that shutter button like it was her goddamn business.

When they’re done, Lena leaves for the dressing room with a lingering look that has Kara reaching for the nearest bottle of water.

“Cheeky woman,” Nia chuckles. “Cat is really pleased with how these are coming though,” she adds, holding up her phone. Kara only makes out an exchange of photos and messages, possibly feedback from Cat.

“I would’ve loved to have been briefed about her fiery little attitude,” Kara jokes. Nia looks at her with a smile like she wants to say something, but Winn comes up to the pair.

“Set up at the bar is ready, Kara,” he tells the blonde. “You okay?”

“Peachy, Winn,” Kara mumbles.

Winn gives her a shit-eating grin and looks at the monitor to scroll through the set of photos open. “She’s pretty intense, huh? Makes for good photos though.” He pauses at one where Lena is looking directly at the camera, her hair mussed up and her lips parted just so. “The way she looks at the camera is just… It’s stunning.”

Kara can’t really disagree. As far as shoots go, Lena Luthor was definitely good with the camera. Definitely not good for Kara’s heart though. She can’t remember the time she had been so captivated, which was saying something considering she becomes very occupied once she was behind the lens.

Lena returns in her robe again, this time with a darker color of red on her lips and a smoky gold shade on her eyelids. Her hair is curled up more compared to her earlier waves, and Siobhan fusses with a couple of stray strands on her forehead as Lena stands in front of the pair of lights set up by the bar in the kitchen. The photographer asks her to move by the wall. Lena takes off her robe, and Kara takes the moment to adjusts the lighting herself.

“The wall again, huh?” Lena asks with a smirk, and Kara laughs lightly.

“I forgot to bring a backdrop,” she jokes. She lifts her camera and captures Lena’s fleeting laugh before she discards her mask of emotion for a more neutral one. Her outfit is similar to the previous one but looks classier—a high-waisted black brief in a traditional cut, still lace of course, but at the hips are sheer panels that show off Lena’s perfect skin.

So Kara begins capturing stills of Lena’s perfection again; every now and again the model would lick her lips and Kara would find herself pausing to take a breath each time she catches her do so—which is essentially _every fucking time._

“Do you want some water?” Kara offers after a awhile, when she’s sure she got several great shots. She lowers her camera.

Lena smirks. “Not quite thirsty for water.”

Kara laughs, the meaning of her words not entirely lost on her though the blonde wasn’t sure _exactly_ what to do with them. “There’s alcohol around if you’d like,” she says instead. “We can drink this, right Nia?” She asks, looking back at the marketing manager.

“I guess?” Nia blinks. “I mean, go ahead.”

“Winn can mix a great martini for you,” Kara offers with a chuckle.

Lena only shakes her head, amused smile still on her face. “I’m good. Are we done with this one?”

When Kara nods, Lena takes her robe from Siobhan and leaves to get ready for her next outfit.

“Really, Kara?” Winn drawls as he walks up to Kara.

The blonde shrugs. “You _do_ make a great martini.”

The man only shakes his head. “I’ll just get this next set-up ready,” he says, and takes a couple bottles of drinks and glasses from the cupboards and puts them on the bar counter. He centers an elegant-looking bar stool in the middle, and Kara asks Brainy to dim the lights so she could take some photos with just the soft boxes. It achieves the look she likes, and in her mind’s eye she can already picture Lena in said lighting. Soft and hazy, like a dream, and Kara has to shake her head to clear her thoughts.

 _Professionalism, Kara,_ she tells herself.    

Lena returns to the bar area and easily sheds her robe that Kara has to quickly look away. The model smirks again and the blonde feels a thrill up her spine at it.

 _That was_ not _professional,_ she mentally chastises. She directs Lena to sit on the bar stool.  Lena obeys. The blonde fully sees what she is wearing now—an embodiment of glamorous. Kara has to blink several times at the lovely pair of lingerie made of silk lace, with scalloped-edge hemline and a cage-style silhouette brassier that accentuates Lena’s bosom. There are two horizontal straps that join three vertical ones—the two that go up her shoulders and the third one that starts from the center of the bra up to the base of Lena’s throat. From there the black lace material wraps around her pale neck. Her hair is up in a messy bun, which only drives the focus of whoever is looking towards the flawless column on her throat, then up her bright red lips—a sight that not even the sparkle of small Swarovski crystals embedded in the choker and straps of the lingerie can tear Kara’s attention away from.

Distantly, she does wonder just how much, exactly, this pair costs. She also wonders how she is still standing in front of Lena, on both feet no less. She must have a stronger will than she thought.

She manages to finish shooting that stunning outfit change once more, barely reacting when Lena leaned back against the counter to rest both her elbows on it, spread her legs, and hooked the heels of her pumps on the foot rail of the stool—or at least, reacting in any outward way. Her camera got the brunt of it as her hold on the equipment tightened and her screen fogged with the shaky breath she let go of.

“We should grab a drink sometime,” Lena tells Kara as she walks beside the blonde to take her robe from Jess. Kara chuckles as she eyes her sideways, not looking fully until she had her robe on.

“You don’t like Winn’s martini?” Kara shoots back with a grin. Lena stares at her for a moment and chuckles, almost wryly, before glancing at the man.

“Not my kind of drink.”

Kara tilts her head. “And what’s your kind of drink?”

Lena quirks her lips and gives Kara a once-over. “A tall, refreshing dirty blonde,” Lena whispers, then she turns on her heel to follow  Jess, leaving Kara gaping after her once more.

_What in—_

God. Kara hopes her will would last until the end of the shoot. She shuts her mouth and turns to Winn, who was busying himself with organizing their files and creating back-ups like the diligent assistant he is.

“Dirty blonde’s a drink, right?” Kara asks.

“Hm?” Winn looks up from the laptop, distracted. “Yeah. Uh, vodka and pineapple… Or orange. I think. Why?” Winn double-clicks on the laptop as Kara shrugs.

“Nothing.” She looks to where Lena had gone. Granted, Lena is one _stunning_ work of the gods themselves and she is a little bit too flirtatious for Kara’s heart, but she reminds herself that this is a professional setting, that she is here for the opportunity Cat Grant gave her, and that she should focus on the job.

She manages to get a level head, at least until Lena returns, that same playful smirk on her lips, and practically purrs: “Where do you want me this time, darling?”

Kara clears her throat and vaguely gestures to the bar counter.

“Bar counter?” Lena confirms. Kara nods, only to look away when the model takes her robe off again to look at the monitor.

When Lena tells her she’s ready, Kara finally looks her way and practically chokes on air— _again_ —when her gaze lands on too much of pale skin on display—until she realizes the lingerie Lena is wearing is made of nude silk and bright red trimmings that match the color of her lips. It’s made of lace material that probably feels as elegant as it looks, not that she wants to touch.

Well, maybe.

She clears her throat and directs Lena to lean against the counter. Behind her are colorful bottles of spirits and wines, a beautiful contrast against the muted colors of her outfit, and all Kara could focus on are the bright red hints on Lena’s figure—her lips, and the elegant silk against the curve of her breasts, around her belly and her thighs.

What was she telling herself earlier again?

“Can you—” Kara stops taking photos to glance behind the counter. It’s matte black, similar to the wall in the living room, and she tells Lena to hold on a moment. “Winn, help me with the bottles,” Kara says, and the two of them set them aside to make space on the counter. “Do you mind lying on the counter?” She finally asks, meeting Lena’s gaze—Kara realizes she looks much taller now, what with her matching nude stilettos.

Lena only hums. “Lay me down then?”

Kara takes a sharp breath and smiles, then steps in to offer her hand and help Lena up the counter. The model murmurs a _thank you_ and slowly slides to the middle of the counter until she could lie down, careful not to knock any of the bottles off _._ She extends her legs, bent slightly at the knees, eyes on Kara like she was waiting for approval. Kara nods when she is satisfied and grabs the bar stool Lena had sat on earlier to drag it a step away from the counter. She climbs on it, asks Brainy to adjust the soft box to her left, and lets out another shaky sigh as she looks down at Lena.

The model is lying on the black bar counter and looking every inch the definition of seductive. Her head is tilted, her hair and the blackness of the counter framing her pale form and the nude fabric of her lingerie. Delicate hands trail against her cheeks and her stomach, and all Kara  could do was  breathlessly follow their path with her camera clicking every heartbeat.

What professionalism?

“Is it cold?” Kara asks softly as she pauses to look directly at Lena. A wrong thing to do, really; Lena gives her a smile that Kara is sure wasn’t supposed to be disarming but was, anyway. She lifts her camera to eye-level once more.

“Nothing I can’t handle, darling,” Lena replies. She pushes herself up by her elbows, gives a positively ravishing look at the camera, and Kara almost crashes onto the stupid marbled floor. _Almost._ She manages a couple of angles and a few more poses from Lena until they are done. Kara checks on the photos and likes how they came out—even so far as congratulates herself on _not_ falling off the stool.

“Hey Nia,” Lena says as she shrugs on her robe again. “Can I have this pair?”

Nia laughs. “I’m pretty sure all twelve are yours now.”

“Great,” Lena grins, and she spares Kara a look before leaving again.

The penthouse elevator doors open a few minutes later, to a pair of uniformed men carrying take-out bags. Nia mentions it’s their lunch, and as if on cue, Kara’s stomach rumbles. Nia tells the delivery men to leave the food on the dining table as she goes to call Lena’s team for lunch.

At the very least, Lena arrives at the dining room in a comfortable-looking button up and shorts that displayed perfect legs, and Kara wonders at which point in the day she would get used to seeing Lena like this.

They share lunch over conversation about the campaign, which Nia is excited to talk about. Kara adds her two cents every once in a while, mentions how she is excited for Cat and the company, considering how different it is from CatCo.

“That’s how you knew Cat, right?” Nia asks.

Kara swallows her bite of orange chicken and nods. “I was a reporter once.”

“Huh,” Lena chimes in with a tilt of her head. She’s long finished her small serving of noodles and dumplings. Kara turns to her. “A career change, then?” The mode asks.

Kara smiles. “Photography’s only ever been a hobby until Cat told me I should try getting paid for it before she ends up firing me,” she says with a laugh.

“Interesting,” Lena says.

Kara bites her lip. “So why modeling?” She asks after a moment.

And for the first time since Kara has laid eyes on Lena, she looks… _bashful_. “I wasn’t always,” she says with a chuckle. “I’m a bio-engineer actually. Still working as a consultant, even.”

Kara blinks dumbly. “Huh.”

“That’s amazing,” Brainy adds in. “How did you…”

“End up posing practically half-naked in front of a camera?” Lena continues, looking at Kara with that playful smirk again. Kara is thankful she isn’t chewing anything or else she probably would have choked on it. “This is my first, actually. As for the whole modeling thing, I attended a friend’s event and the next thing I know I’m up on a runway, wearing a dress entirely too tight and too short. Good thing I’m at least used to panels and conferences. All those people looking at me, god,” she adds with a laugh.

“And now you’re the lead model for National City’s biggest underwear campaign of the year,” Nia says proudly. Lena drags her gaze away from Kara to smile at her.

“Indeed,” Lena hums. “And I thank you for that.”

When lunch is over, Kara helps on cleaning up despite Nia insisting the clean-up crew at the end of the day would take care of it. Lena leaves with her team to get ready for the next set-up as Kara’s team starts on it—they will be shooting in the master’s bathroom this time, one that is probably as big as Kara’s bedroom itself.

She returns to the living room to grab a bottle of water to drink, _just in case,_ and chances Lena’s return. She walks with her to the bathroom.

“There’s a large stained-glass window that is perfect with the afternoon sun,” Kara explains as they walk to the bathroom. There is a plush tufted chair beside the bathtub that could probably fit two people, and beside it is a matching elegant wooden table that has a bottle of wine and a glass beside it. Kara instructs Lena to sit on the chair and the model obeys, pulling her robe off and handing it off to Jess. At this point, Kara thinks she is used to the gorgeous expanse of skin that Lena is showing off, but every outfit she wears is a refreshing view for Kara. This time she is wearing a pair of cobalt blue silk lingerie; the padded plunge bra is decorated at the neckline with small lace butterflies, and the matching panties have a midnight blue coordinating bow in the middle.

“We’ll start over here,” Kara says, gesturing to the tufted chair that Lena walks to. She sits with a little smile and looks up at Kara as the photographer starts taking sample shots.

“I don’t think blue is my color,” Lena chuckles, sliding her hand behind her neck to push her hair to one side. Siobhan walks closer to brush away her curls.

“My camera begs to differ,” the blonde points out, smiling at Lena before glancing at the monitor just beside her.

Lena quirks an eyebrow. “And what do _you_ think?”

Kara laughs breathlessly. Does she even have to ask? “I think you should pose for me,” she says instead, lifting her camera once more. Lena giggles, shakes her head, then a beat and she’s posing for Kara again—she sits straight on the plush chair and crosses her legs, puts her left arm over her stomach in a way that emphasizes her chest and rests right elbow on her left hand to lift her chin with her right. Kara hums in approval as she takes photos. Lena _knows_ how to play the camera for someone who hasn’t always been a model, and perhaps that’s where her playful demeanor comes from—attitude that has Kara’s brain short-circuiting, but one that definitely helps in creating awe-striking photos.

When they are done with the first bathroom outfit, Kara tells Siobhan that Lena could change.

“Can I just change here?” Lena asks, not even standing from the chair she had spent the better half of the past hour on. “The dressing room’s too far.”

Kara opens her mouth to answer but looks to Nia as well. When the marketing manager shrugs, Kara just nods. “Sure. We’ll be outside,” she says, and leaves but not before hearing Siobhan laugh and mutter _honestly?_

Kara wonders what they’re talking about. It was her reporter’s curiosity that never really left, perhaps, but instead she heads to the kitchen to grab some muffins Nia had ordered for them— _again_ , really, and Kara just knows Cat herself told Nia about Kara’s appetite. She asks Winn to make her copies of the files during breaks so she could start editing the photos as soon as she gets home.

“I’m ready for you, Kara,” Lena calls out from the bathroom, and Kara washes down the cookies with a gulp of water.

“Coming!” She replies, and practically jumps off her chair.

“Excited much, Kara?” Winn jokes, and the blonde glares at him, causing him to shut up.

She regrets returning too soon because she probably should have mustered a little more strength before walking back as she takes sight of what Lena is wearing. The plunge bra Lena has on is mostly made of sheer black lace designed with large floral patterns, the cups seemingly only half of a normal bra, connected together by a crisscross of fabric that follows the curve of Lena’s breasts. Its corresponding panties are made of the same material, except it clings tightly to Lena like second skin. It has an extra ribbon of silk that goes around Lena’s waist, connected to the middle of the waistband down to the crotch of the—

Kara bites the inside of her cheeks and quickly looks up and away from the details of the lower piece, only to meet Lena’s questioning glance. She smiles at the model and lifts her camera.

“Ready?” Kara asks.

“Yup,” Lena replies, popping the p. “Where do you want me?”

 _Dear lord._ Just when she thought she was used to Lena’s allure. Kara clears her throat. “For this one, it’s just here on the tub. I mean, sit against it? Can you do that for me?”

“Sure thing, darling,” Lena says, and she sits on the lip of the tub. She rests her hands on the porcelain and tilts her head, her hair cascading down her shoulder as she did so, and Kara quickly snaps photos of her. She bends her knees a little, angling the shots lower, and Lena responds by shifting her pose; she spreads her legs slightly and sits further back on the edge of the tub to place one hand between her legs, gripping the porcelain. She leans forward as well, uses her free hand to push her hair behind her left ear and to let the right side curtain the side of her face.

“That’s great,” Kara notes, voice breathless. She clears her throat and snaps photos of the pose Lena gives her. “Look away,” Kara whispers after a while, but at least Lena hears and she obeys. The blonde’s index finger twitches against the shutter button as she takes several pictures.

“Now look at me,” she says again, and she swallows at the intensity of green eyes when they lock with hers through the camera. _Jesus._ “G-good,” she manages to say, and she steps back just a bit for her own benefit but still keeps on taking her photos.

Kara takes a long, deep breath when she walks out of the bathroom with Winn, Brainy, and Nia so they could let Lena change for the next pair of lingerie. Her teammate laughs and gently pats her back, only to receive a glare from Kara.

“You know, I sense some tension with the two of you,” Nia notes with a smile. Kara snorts and raids the kitchen fridge for a bottle of soda.

“It’s just her chemistry with the camera, guys,” Kara dismisses. Nia raises an eyebrow and Kara just shrugs, looks at Winn and Brainy—who cross their arms at the same time—before sighing. “Either way, this is just a job that we all need to get through, alright?”

“Yeah, good luck with that,” Winn mutters to Brainy, who laughs, and Kara glares at the two of them.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Winn,” she mutters. She would need more than just luck if she wants to survive the rest of the day. A stronger will, perhaps, because surely not even a streak of compulsory heterosexuality or a lightning strike from a homophobic god can save her right now from the _unprofessional_ thoughts brewing in her mind.

God, and they still had how many sets of lingerie to shoot? Thank heavens no one could read her mind. If someone could, they would probably be judging Kara now.

 _Your thirst is normal, Kara,_ she tells herself. _Just don’t drool all over her._

When Siobhan calls out for the team to return to the bathroom, Kara takes a long deep breath and Brainy chuckles at her before heading back first. Kara follows, and she finds Siobhan adding final touches to Lena’s eyeshadow. THe model licks her lips and looks up when stylist is done with her, locking gazes with Kara who grins shakily.

“Ready?” Kara asks, and when Lena nods, Kara answers her own question with a _no_ as she takes in the sight of Lena’s outfit: The third pair the raven-haired woman is wearing is more sheer lace than anything else. It’s one of the new outfits Nia had added, and she thinks a heads-up about how mouthwatering it would be on Lena would have been really helpful. Or not, actually, because she is completely certain no red-hot warning sign could have prepared the heart-stopping, fever-inducing sight that is Lena.

She is wearing a bra which cups are made of fine tulle material with scalloped-edge and glitter-dusted trimmings, joined together in the middle with crystal-studded silk. The underband is intricately designed, the straps are made of lace as well and designed with small bows at the base. Around Lena’s neck is a velvet choker—a choice probably made to drag anyone’s gaze away from Lena’s dusky nipples, barely hidden behind the sheer material of her bra. Or her everything, really, because this piece is certainly _bold._ The waistband of the black ouvert brief Lena wears is thin and eye-catching against her alabaster skin, but it’s the almost cheeky way the layer of delicate mesh over Lena’s skin and practically frames her crotch that has Kara biting the inside of her cheeks to keep herself from making a pathetic sound.

She clears her throat and hopes she isn’t blushing, but it’s obvious her reaction is _expected—_ Lena smirks, and even Nia makes a sound of awe behind Kara.

Yes. Awe seems _professional._ Kara’s sudden urge to get on her knees to worship this perfect creation in front of her isn’t as much.

“Let’s start where you are,” Kara says, lifting her camera to eye-level and quickly snapping photos of Lena where she stands in front of the tub, the light from the stained-glass window looking like she is lit by the heavens. When Kara is satisfied with the shots—or at least, when she realizes she’s taken too many—she looks at the monitor, not to check her photos but mostly to breathe. She clears her throat again.

“Looks great,” she says, and turns back to Lena. “Let’s get you in the tub?”

Lena nods. “Help me into it?” She asks, and Kara doesn’t even blink before she’s stepping closer and offering her hand. Lena’s hand is soft— _god, professionalism, professionalism,_ Kara chants in her head—and she murmurs a soft _thank you_ once she’s inside the tub. She sits on the middle of it and Kara positions herself on the corner of the bathroom to snap photos of her in that position, before asking the model to lay down.

“Comfortable?” Kara asks with a small smile.

“A little cold,” the model says. Kara notices, too, if the hard pebbles against the sheer fabric of her bra is any indication. Kara bites the inside of her cheeks to keep herself focused on anything aside from the dusky nipples she can see behind the lace.

“I’ll try to be quick,” Kara murmurs, and she asks Winn to come closer with the reflector as she bends down a little to snap pictures of the woman. After a few more poses and a several more shots, she looks away with a shaky sigh to Winn.

“I think we have our shots,” Kara announces.

Nia raises her hand. “I sent a couple of these photos to Cat and she’s asking if we could do a wet look for this set,” she explains.

“S-sorry?” Kara asks, her eyebrows furrowing.

“A wet look,” Nia shrugs. “Just put some water in the tub I guess, soak Lena’s hair a bit. If that’s okay?”

No. _Not okay,_ Kara thinks, but instead of answering, she looks to Lena. The model steps away from the tub and shrugs. “Sure,” she says, then hums. “How do you plan on getting me wet, Kara?”

_God. Definitely not okay._

“I- Um, hold on,” Kara says, already deep in thought. Thankfully her brain is still functioning creatively despite Lena’s rather suggestive comment—her smirk is a weapon she wields so well—and hands Winn her camera. “You sure about this? It might get colder.”

Lena bites her lip and nods. Kara rolls up her sleeves and turns the shower knob to warm and opens it up to fill the tub to half.

“Can someone get me towels please? And ready another robe for Lena.” She turns to Lena. “Time to go in,” she says, offering her hand.

“How chivalrous.”

Lena bites her lip as she soaks in the tub, and Kara sits on her haunches. “I’ll just get your hair a bit wet,” she says, and she waits for Lena’s nod before soaking her hand in the water and carefully bringing it up Lena’s hair to comb through her soft, _soft_ locks, making her hair just damp enough for the “casually bathing” look. Thankfully, her fingers aren’t shaking as the pads of them graze across the soft skin of Lena’s cheeks.

“Perfect,” Kara whispers, and Lena’s lip quirks up, green gaze moving to meet Kara’s. The blonde swallows. Brainy returns with a bunch of towels, and he hands Kara one, breaking the eye contact. Kara clears her throat and pats her hands dry before taking her camera from Winn to take photos of Lena again, hair damp, lips parted, eyes ever so _intense,_ never leaving Kara’s even if hers were behind the lens.

There were moments that Kara would forget to breathe.

“Those good, Nia?” Kara asks after a while. She barely looks away from the model—and Lena never looks away from her. When Nia voices an affirmative, Kara hands her camera back to Winn and grabs a towel to help Lena out of the tub without prompting. Lena seems to smirk as she stands, water dripping from her perfect skin, and it was as if Kara hadn’t spent the last fifteen or so minutes directing and staring at Lena’s perfection with the way she so craved to see her. It was _dangerous_ at this point, and so positively thrilling at the same time. Kara wraps the towel around the woman before turning to Siobhan and Leslie to tell them to get her ready for the next shoot.

“Take your time,” Kara tells them—mostly Lena, blue eyes regarding the woman like she was checking if she was cold. That, and the growing _craving. “_ We’re still on track for the last set-up anyway.”

She doesn’t notice Lena looking at her a second or two longer than necessary when she walks away.

The last set-up is the bedroom. Lena returns almost forty-five minutes later, looking every inch of perfect again like she wasn’t just soaked in lukewarm water earlier. Then again, even soaked in lukewarm water, she was the definition of beautiful. She fiddles with the ties of the fluffy robe she is wearing as she walks to stand beside Kara, who stands at the foot of the bed and regarding the scenery they had in the bedroom.

“So, you want me in bed?”

Kara coughs violently— _god, why was she like this?_ —but shakes her head as she turns to Lena. “Uh. N-not yet. We’re starting with the recliner. I mean, you’re wearing the uh, pink and black pair, right?”

Lena doesn’t answer. Instead she takes off her robe and hands it to Jess, and Kara gets her answer. She is wearing gorgeous pink and black set similar to the cobalt blue pair from earlier, except this time her bottoms are lace knickers that screamed elegance. The bra has pink silk cups finished with black lace edges, while the knickers have a matching bow at the center of the waistband. It’s completed with a kimono of the same material and color. Lena takes a seat on the recliner without much of Kara’s instruction, like they are already in sync. The photographer follows her movements with her camera, but when Lena spreads her legs and hooks one over the arm of the chair, Kara pauses for the briefest of seconds.

_Focus, Kara._

“That looks good,” she murmurs anyway, and thankfully her camera hides her blushing cheeks from Lena’s piercing green gaze, though Kara has an inkling she knew what she was doing. _Of course._ The mirth in her eyes told as much. The battle was the same the entire time—Kara trying to keep herself together while Lena flirted with the camera. _Not you, Kara. The camera._ She did her best to snap photos of Lena.

“Is this your first underwear shoot?” Lena asks after a few minutes. She has a smile on her lips as she continues to pose, reclined this time on her seat.

“Uh, yeah,” Kara manages, smiling back at Lena before lowering her camera for a moment. “And you?”

Lena shrugs as she leans forward. She rests her elbows on her knees, accentuating her breasts as she did so. Kara has to bring the camera back up to her eye to have _something_ between them before she melted. “The same,” Lena drawls. Her lips quirk up into a smirk. “So we’re each other’s firsts, huh?”

Kara tries not to choke on her own spit. She does survive the untethered glee in Lena’s eyes as they go through the rest of the hour shooting the pair she was wearing, like it’s her goal to make Kara squirm.

She won’t admit that she enjoys it, in a probably masochistic way. It’s a silent game they were playing, one that a rational part of Kara _knows_ she should avoid.

And yet.

Lena returns in a provocative crop-top style bra with a high-necked silhouette, with smooth, black satin that ended halfway, only covering the upper part of Lena’s mounds. The rest of the top’s cups is a translucent layer of fine net tulle that reveals Lena’s pale skin and a hint of her dusky nipples. Kara’s brain doesn’t short-circuit this time, thank you very much. One deep breath and a tug of her nose ring and the blonde is smiling, ready to take the photos she needs to. The matching panties are _thankfully_ a mirror image of the bra, with the waistband the same sheer material wrapped like second skin around Lena’s waist, satin covering the rest of her and not—

 _God,_ if it were the same make like her top, Kara’s nose would probably have started bleeding.

“Kara.”

Lena’s voice drags her back to the present. The model has her arms crossed, that playful smirk back on her lips again that Kara honestly just wants to—

_No._

“Just relax in bed, feel at home,” Kara says as she fumbles with her camera.

“Ah. Sure.” Lena hums and sits on the bed before sinking into the softness of the mattress and the sheets. A relieved sigh escapes her lips as she looks up and stares at the camera, right into Kara’s eyes, and quirks up her lips.

“You’re not going to join me?” Lena asks.

Kara sighs and fiddles with her lens. “I would,” she mutters, and lifts her camera to focus on Lena. She sighs again, like she can’t help the next words that fell from her lips. “But I would like to have dinner first before I do that.”

Lena laughs like she is surprised with Kara’s reply. Kara manages to freeze the moment of joy in a photograph, and she smiles as she continues to do so. The shutter is the only sound she could hear aside from her pounding heart.

“Are you really the quiet type?” Lena asks as she lies on her side on the bed, up on her left elbow. She rests her head on her left hand, curious eyes fixed on Kara.

“Depends on the company, I suppose,” Kara hums. _Click. Click._ Lena chuckles as she ruffles her own hair before taking a pillow to rest on, still so gracefully _posing_ despite their apparent conversation. “I don’t always trip on my words. Only when pretty women are involved.”

Lena raises an eyebrow. _“Oh._ You think I’m pretty?”

Kara pauses and lowers her camera. When she meets Lena’s gaze, she looks far too serious, at least until a smile graces her lips. “No,” she answers, so softly that only Lena could probably hear. “I think you’re beautiful.”

Lena doesn’t seem to have expected that. Before she could say anything, Kara is turning to Jess to tell her they could change to the next outfit. She lets out a shaky breath as she walks out of the room to give the women some privacy, all while she tries to gather herself.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Kara,” Brainy notes. He hands her a bottle of cold water and Kara stares at it for a moment before taking it.

“I mean. I think I just faced death,” she mutters, more to herself, and the man blinks at her curiously. Kara sighs. She flirted back. _Lena was flirting with her, and Kara flirted back._

Yeah. That nosebleed was definitely coming soon.

The last set is another of the new pairs Nia added. Kara barely remembers what it looks like, but her jaw practically drops and her throat dries out when she returns to the bedroom, Nia and Winn in tow.

“Ready?” Lena asks, all while she is already kneeling on the bed. The white robe that had shielded Kara’s eyes and thoughts away from the sin Lena wore underneath is nowhere to be found. All Lena is wearing is the blood-red all-lace lingerie that looks _absolutely_ divine. The red panties have scalloped edges and delicate trims that match the bra, and there is a red bow that rests against Lena’s belly that Kara wants to kiss. She wears nude stockings as well, with red lace straps around her thighs and matching red high heels.

“Still the bed, right?” Lena asks, and Kara nods wordlessly. It takes her a full three seconds before she even remembers what she was supposed to be doing; she snaps a few test shots as Lena walks near the edge of the bed, close to Kara. Words. What were words? She was half-sure her nose was bleeding right now. After a while, Kara clears her throat.

“Yeah. Uh, we can start um, here.” Kara gestures to where Lena is kneeling before bringing her camera to eye-level, snapping a few more photos. “Sit. J-just relax, play with the camera.”

 _Relax._ God. It seems it’s _her_ who needs that. Her palms feel clammy all of a sudden. If Lena noticed, she doesn’t give any indication. Instead, she winks at Kara—at the _camera—_ then sits on the bed, crosses her legs in front of her.

 _“Relax,”_ Lena echoes, a hint of teasing in her voice. _Yes. She’s noticed._ Kara doesn’t let it get to her. She chuckles, albeit awkwardly, as she steps back, taking and taking photos then occasionally glancing to the shots monitor.

Lena leans back after a while until she is lying on the bed. Kara hums in approval as she watches from behind the lens, clicking away. The model stretches on the bed and moans lightly. The sound seemed to have been audible to no one else but the photographer. Kara clears her throat, and when she’s done with the photos, she gives the monitor a glance.

“You look flustered, Kara,” Lena notes, pushing herself up from the bed with her elbows, her lips curled into that now-familiar smirk. “Are you alright?”

Kara laughs, the sound tense, awkward. “Yup,” she mumbles, turning to Lena again. “Just. You know. Trying to stay professional,” she says, more to herself. “Given your state of undress.” Lena seems to catch it though.

“My state of undress,” Lena echoes. She tilts her head curiously and licks her lips in a far too sensual way to just be something done for the sake of speaking. “Which are you struggling with? The fact that I’m practically undressed?” She smirks again, that mysterious, all-too-playful smile that could only mean trouble. “Or that I’m not fully so?”

Kara almost drops her camera. She could feel her heart pound in her chest, her cheeks almost bursting with warmth because _god, can she read minds?_

“I think—” Kara clears her throat and grips her camera firmly. “Um, we got the shots we need. Nia!”  Kara steps back and gives Lena a shaky grin before practically runing out of the bedroom to find the marketing manager. She hears Lena’s laughter follow her out of the bedroom.

_Oh god. Whatever happened to professionalism?_

Kara shoves the memory card to Winn even if the man already had a copy of the photos in the cloud. He and Brainy comment on the intensity of the last few set-ups, all while Nia sings praises on Cat’s behalf for a shoot well done.

“These aren’t even the edited ones yet but they’re already perfect. We’re really happy about this, Kara,” Nia grins.

Kara chuckles softly. “That was less me and more your model, really.”

Nia looks at the blonde knowingly. “I think it helped that you were the photographer.”

Kara doesn’t say anything to that. Instead, she tells Nia the timelines for the editing process and when she could expect the final rendering of the photos. The talk also dips into payment and other CatCo shoots they could do in the future. The conversations help Kara’s mind veer away from _whatever_ that moment was in the bedroom.

As much as she seemed to be attracted to Lena, Kara thinks the model was just being playful. Building rapport with the camera and such. It helped with the shots, all of which turned out quite _fantastic._ Besides, she could still salvage her botched attempts at professionalism by disregarding whatever moments they had earlier. Hers was a budding career, after all, and Lena’s even more so. They couldn’t possibly...

_No._

As they packed up, Kara manages to pull herself together. She’s alive, with some uncomfortable heat between her legs but still up on both feet. She’ll take that as a victory, if anything.

Winn and Kara are discussing about buying new equipment when that sweet scent teased the air once more. Without turning around, Kara could guess who it was. Winn excuses himself.

The photographer turns around to find Lena. She’s just wearing a white dotted shirt and dark jeans now, along with high heels that make her eye-level to Kara. Over-all so much simpler than the glamorous, diamond-studded and lace-trimmed pieces she had worn earlier, but Lena still looked every inch of the beautiful masterpiece she is.

“So,” Lena starts. Somehow, for some reason, she looks... _anxious._ So different from the playful, bold woman that so brazenly flirted behind the camera. She hands Kara a business card. “Call me.”

Oh.

Kara looks down at the card and accepts it with a soft smile. “Not through Jess, then?”

Lena looks confused for a moment. “Why would—” A short, nervous laugh. “For the dinner and drinks, I mean.”

_Oh._

Kara looks back at Winn before scratching her forehead. “Um. Listen, Lena, about earlier, I... I mean, I’d love to—” She sighs. “You know. Dinner and drinks. It’s just. This is a professional setting and...” Another sigh. Crap. She didn’t mean to start the wrong way around but her rejection already hangs in the air and the mirth in Lena’s eyes seem to be dimmed by the way Kara skipped around saying no. “I just- I just don’t want to be known as someone who- who sleeps with her models, you know?”

Lena bites her lip, like what Kara had said struck a blow in her confidence. “Right—”

“Don’t get me wrong,” Kara interrupts, blushes and looks down at her boots before nervously laughing. “I- I think you’re a great woman and I already consider myself very lucky considering—”

“Jess?” Lena calls out, though her gaze never wavers from Kara. “Please make sure I _never_ work with Ms. Danvers here ever again.”

Kara’s heart sinks. “Lena, I didn’t—”

“No, listen, Kara.” Lena sighs and smiles tightly. She clasps her hands in front of her. “I’m really glad we got to work together, but if there is a certain line you aren’t willing to cross in the guise of... professionalism, that’s fine with me. I admire that, actually. And now that I’m sure I _never_ have to work with you again, please.” She hums. “You have my number, if ever you want me to, ah, model for you privately. Or, you know. Dinner and drinks. I’m not entirely picky.” She winks, and before Kara could really processes what she just said, leans in to press a chaste kiss on the corner of Kara’s lips that leaves a bright red lipstick stain.

Then she is walking away, rounding the corner to the elevator. Kara looks down at her hand, where Lena’s card stares back at her.

“Kara,” Nia stage-whispers from her left. A smack on Kara’s shoulder has the photographer wincing. It’s Nia who glares at her. “Kara! Don’t just stare at her card!”

“Wh—”

“Run!”

So Kara does. Her boots thud on the expensive marble floor, causing Lena and Jess to turn around where they waited for the elevator.

“Yes, Ms. Danvers?” Jess asks.

“Jess,” Kara grins shakily and waves her hands in front of her. “Sorry. Can I have a moment with Lena please?”

Lena raises an eyebrow, but Jess nods and steps aside then fishes her phone from her purse to take a call.  Whether or not she was actually talking to someone, Kara didn’t really care. She scratches her nose ring. God. She misses her glasses already.

“So. Uh.” Kara blinks. “Sorry, about the whole... Earlier. Thing.” _Words. What were words?_ “Um. I just thought that- that was how you built rapport, you know? I mean. It made for _really_ great pictures—”

“Yes, I was hoping you got that I was flirting with the camera and _you,_ Kara,” Lena muses.

“I- No- Yes! Yes, uh. I got that now. Loud and clear.” Kara waves her hands and Lena stares at her, amused. “And I’d call, really, but you're already here, and uh—”

“Kara.”

The blonde blinks. “Yes?”

Lena breathes out a soft laugh and shakes her head. “How does tomorrow night sound?”

Jess snickers. Kara tries to ignore it, but she smiles at Lena. “Okay. Maybe 7PM?”

Lena nods. “Sounds good. Let me know where.”

The elevator dings just as Kara nods, rather eagerly. She watches as Jess and Lena step into the lift. Those green gaze were on her, ever playful. Teasing.

“Oh, and Kara?”

The blonde straightens. “Yeah?”

Lena smirks. “I really hope you’re a top or we might have a little problem.”

The elevator closes, and Kara stares at the closed doors for five full seconds before she realizes what Lena had just said.

_Oh, fucking—_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title of chapter from "Come on Get Higher" by Matt Nathanson. Photos of the [lingerie worn by Lena here.](https://twitter.com/potstickerzzz/status/1092981770084003840)


	2. underneath, unexplored

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The date.

Kara sighs and leans back on her couch, head thrown back in frustration.  She’s home, dressed in comfortable sweats and an old college tee, winding down with Alex and their friends. It’s been two hours since Kara left the penthouse with Winn and Brainy in tow, and almost three hours since she asked Lena out.

Well, _technically,_ Lena asked her out because Kara was too tongue-tied to get the actual words out of her mouth. It’s already past nine in the evening and she still hasn’t found a place to invite Lena to. Kara had at least decided that they would get dinner first, perhaps at a quiet restaurant so they could _talk,_ something that they haven’t done much even during the shoot. Mostly because Kara tripped on her words, but she was dead-set on fixing that. She just had to figure out _where,_ or at least, what kind of food.

She had spent the better half of the ride home scrolling through Lena’s Instagram to get an idea on that front. However, most of the woman’s posts were of books, films, and her friends, and any food-related posts were of kale, kombucha, and eggs benedict—two of which Kara would like to keep her distance from, and one she thinks is most certainly not first date kind of food. She kind of regrets agreeing to tomorrow and actually asking Lena to meet at 7PM. Was it too late to reschedule?

“You've been stalking Lena Luthor for the past hour,” Alex says as she hands her a refilled plate of nachos. Her sister pops open another bottle of beer and sits beside Kara, bumping her shoulder. “Haven’t had enough of staring at her in person?”

“I didn’t stare at her,” Kara grumbles as she takes a chip and shoves a scoop of salsa into her mouth. “I took photos.”

“Same thing,” Brainy and Winn say at the same time. Alex laughs at them as Kara glares, and the older Danvers peers on Kara’s phone. Alex whistles lowly.

“Who’s that?”

Kara looks down at her phone and taps on the thumbnail to open up the photo. It’s a selfie of Lena grinning at the camera with a tan brunette. Alex reaches for her phone to tap the photo to see who was tagged, but ends up _liking_ the damn photo.

From a year or so ago.

“Alex!” Kara gasps, just as Alex sheepishly smiles at her.

“I wanted to see who the woman was!” She defends. She eyes Kara’s phone once more as she reaches for her own phone. “Sam Arias, huh.”

Kara just glares at her. Alex shows Kara her phone, opened to what she guesses is Sam’s Instagram page. Another model.

“I’d tell you you’re thirsty—”

“But you have no right because you drooled all over Lena Luthor,” Alex supplies. Kara scowls at her in faux annoyance but she knew her sister is _kind of_ right.

“Whatev—” Kara pauses as her phone vibrates. She looks down on her phone. A notification glares at her, and a cold chill runs down her spine.

_@lenaluthor started following you!_

Kara drops her phone.

“Oh god. _Oh god...”_ She looks up at Alex, then at Winn and Brainy, then stares at her sister with horror on her face.

“What?” Alex asks, a second away from worrying.

“She followed me.”

Alex snorts, then picks up Kara’s phone from the floor and checks it out. “She sent you a message too,” she says with a hum.

“Give me that!” Kara exclaims as she dives for her phone from Alex, making her crash onto the floor and her companions laugh.

“I thought you already asked her out,” Alex says as she takes a sip of her beer.

Clutching her phone to her chest, Kara opens her mouth to speak but only closes it after a moment. It’s Brainy who answers. “I’m quite certain it was Miss Luthor who _technically_ did the asking. Kara is merely… assigned to look for a place.”

“I just want to take her to some place _decent,”_ Kara grumbles as she returns to her seat on the couch.

"Huh.” Alex blinks. “You really got it bad.”

 _Got it bad._ Kara wants to laugh. She _doesn’t._ It’s just that, well, she’s going out with Lena Luthor. She’s probably used to some posh model lifestyle and Swarovski crystals in her underwear and Kara can’t just bring her to _random_ restaurants in National City.

Right?

“You can never go wrong with Chinese food,” Winn suggests. “Your favorite place, maybe?”

Kara sighs. “I don’t think I’d be able to enjoy the food as much when she has me choking in every bite.”

Alex raises an eyebrow at that. When Kara only purses her lips, the older Danvers turns to the two men.

“Lena makes Kara nervous,” Winn says casually as a means of explaining.

“She does not!” Kara defends.

Brainy makes a face. “Sure.”

Kara glares at the two once more as Alex laughs. “Okay. So what did she say?”

The blonde sighs and looks at her phone. She heads to her messages and taps on Lena’s name.

_From a year ago? That’s stalker behavior._

Kara bites her lip and sighs. “Great, now she thinks I'm a stalker.” She stares at her phone for a moment, wondering what to say to that. What can she say? _It was research?_ Was that believable? God, how creepy was it that she had scrolled through a lot of photos and reached one from a year ago?

Another message comes in. Her sister and best friends watch Kara curiously as blue eyes take in the next message.

_Seen. Ouch._

Panicked, Kara’s thumbs fly over her keypad. She sends it before she could really think.

_I was thinking of what to say._

Well. Honesty was the best policy, right? Kara hugs her knees as Alex only laughs before asking Winn to hand over the remote. The younger Danvers vaguely hears her sister say something about letting her simmer in gay panic, or something. The TV plays back the opening beat of _Brooklyn 99_ where they had paused it earlier, but Kara could only focus on the typing indicator on her phone. She almost jumps in surprise when Lena’s reply comes in, even if she expected it.

_Hopefully not about canceling tomorrow._

What?

Another message comes in. _I was really looking forward to it,_ Lena adds. Kara bites her lip to hold back the wide grin that splits her face. The difficulty to find a place to take Lena aside, it was reassuring to know that she is, as a matter of fact, looking forward to seeing Kara again. It did wonders for her confidence, that seemed to disappear whenever Lena Luthor was in her vicinity.

Without thinking much about it, Kara exits her Instagram and opens up her contacts, where she had saved Lena’s number. When Lena answers at the second ring, there is a weird flutter in Kara’s chest at the thought that Lena must have been waiting on her.

“I was wondering when you’d reach out,” Lena says as a greeting. There’s still that _teasing_ in her voice. “Hopefully this call isn’t about you canceling though.” That’s twice now that Lena had mentioned it. It was odd to think that Lena Luthor was anxious about Kara canceling their date. There was that weird flutter again.

“No, no,” Kara chuckles as she sags against the couch. Honesty. Right. She wonders what Lena is doing right now. Kara could still picture Lena’s intense gaze through the camera. It doesn’t help things. “Um. I was... Honestly, I was going through your Instagram so I have an idea where to take you. For dinner tomorrow, I mean.” Kara bites her lip and scratches her knee mindlessly.

Lena hums in her ear, as if in understanding. “Anywhere _you_ would like, Kara.”

 _That_ doesn’t help things. Kara wants to whine, but she takes Winn’s advice anyway. “I know this quaint Chinese place, which isn’t really five-star or anything, but the food is great?”

“Are you telling me or asking me?” Lena asks, amused. “And I don’t care if it isn’t five-star, Kara. I’m not picky, despite what people might say.”

Kara laughs lightly. “Telling,” she clarifies. Good. _God._ At least that was out of the way, with surprising ease than she had expected. Had she really been stressing about it for hours? “Um. I can pick you up at your place, if you’d like.”

“Oh.” Lena pauses. Kara’s heart does, too, wondering if Lena would cancel now that she had offered such a thing, but all she hears is movement from the other line. Like... ruffling of sheets. Was Lena in bed? _Why are you thinking about it?_ “Would it be alright to just meet there?” Lena asks. “I have a meeting prior.”

“Bioengineering consultant, right,” Kara says, almost mindlessly. She could hear Lena’s smile when she speaks again.

“Indeed. I don’t always have underwear shoots, after all.”

They share a laugh, like this moment is _familiar_ to them, despite the fact they had only met earlier today.

“I’ll text you the address and see you then?” Kara asks, hopeful. When Lena chuckles, the sound is warm and it sends the blonde reeling, craving to hear that  sound once more, _in person._

“You will,” Lena says. “Good night, Kara.”

When the call ends, Kara ends up grinning at her phone like a lovesick fool, and her smile doesn’t leave even when Alex throws a chip her way.

*****

The next day is work as usual for Kara. After jogging a couple of times around the city block, she heads to her home office and gets her laptop on. Mini-fridge stocked under her desk, she plugs in her hard drive containing the raw files from the shoot and blasts 90s love songs to sing along to while working on final photos. _Work_ involved selecting the best shots from the day before and touching them up, which is harder than it sounds—there were so many to choose from, and it didn’t help that Lena Luthor is literally _perfect_ that Kara had a tough time choosing which photos to use.

That, and seeing her in those pairs of lingerie _again_ made for distractions. Sure, it was less aneurysm-inducing because Lena isn’t personally around to flirt with her like it was her business, but Kara could still feel the thrill of having those piercing green eyes on her.

And, as if Lena _knew_ that Kara was thinking of her, the photographer receives a text from Lena.

_See you later._

She couldn’t wait to see Lena again. Out of their professional setting this time, thankfully, though Kara has to admit she is still a bit nervous. Lena _knew_ how to flirt after all, and so easily, too; Kara didn’t want to embarrass herself again.

Besides, she still has to redeem herself.

Kara showers mid-afternoon and gets herself ready for her date with Lena. She debates what to wear for a bit, takes out a couple of  shirts and sweaters, before settling with a blue gingham dress shirt that fit her nicely. She tucks it under a tight, black pair of jeans, and finishes her outfit with a bespoke blazer and a relatively-new pair of black suede oxfords. Her hair is curled a bit and left undone since she is riding her way to the restaurant, and with a spritz of perfume, she gives herself one long look at the mirror. She has forgone her glasses yet again and opts for contacts. She scratches her nose, nail clinking against her ring.

Well. She likes to think she looks _good,_ but she can’t help the nervous fluttering of butterflies in her belly like this was her first date _ever._ Understandable, really, when she was meeting a woman like Lena Luthor.

Helmet in tow—and an extra one, _just in case—_ Kara heads to the restaurant in her beloved bike. The sleek, two-wheeled vehicle roars to a stop at least ten minutes before their supposed meeting time. Kara decides to wait outside, even as Angie, the server who’s come to know Kara’s orders by heart because of how frequently she went there, comes out to offer the window seat out back that she reserved.

“Hot date, Kara?” Angie teases.

Kara just laughs. “You’d be surprised.”

Her watch reads 7:02PM. Kara nervously fishes out her phone from her pocket, wondering if Lena finally hit her head on something and decided to stand her up or if she was running late. Just then, a black sedan rolls to a stop in front of the restaurant. Kara’s heart picks up pace. A car door opens and no other than Lena Luthor steps out, wearing all black, and she says something to the driver before realizing it was Kara who stands in front of her.

Confusion and apology colors Lena’s features. “Have you been waiting long? I’m sorry I’m a bit late. I was down at the labs today.” She pushes a stray hair from her face to behind her ear, and Kara could only _stare._

Lena is gorgeous. Stunning, really; Kara _knew_ that. The blonde had seen her in a fluffy white robe, that casual shirt-and-jeans when she left after the shoot, and most importantly, in expensive lingerie that left nothing to the imagination. She expected Lena to be just as stunning now, and yet, nothing prepared her for the sight in front of her. Air leaves her lungs as she eyes the woman. Lena is wearing all black—a tight, short-sleeved, form-fitting dress that ended mid-thigh and stockings that ended in black pumps with heels that could probably kill. Her long black hair is curled slightly, draped over her left shoulder. The only pop of color in her ensemble was the blood red of her lipstick shade and those green eyes, ever so intense as they take in the sight of Kara.

“Well,” Kara begins dumbly. “I hope you weren’t wearing _that_.”

Bright red lips curl up into that satisfied smirk that sends a thrill up Kara’s spine. Lena makes a show of looking down at her outfit. “Why not?” She asks with a shrug as she steps closer to Kara.

“Unsafe,” Kara replies.

Lena giggles. “No. I was wearing something less attractive. Of course I had to change.”

 _Less attractive._ God. Kara is certain Lena could wear a garbage bag and still manage to be breathtaking. Lena takes her lack of reply as a chance to give Kara a once-over, too, and Kara almost squirms at the unabashed want in her eyes.

“You look _dashing,_ ” Lena says, and she smiles before closing the distance between them. Kara feels her heart stop until she feels hands brushing over her shoulders. “Let’s go then?”

Kara has to blink a few times to pull herself together. Lena has this power over her, making Kara trip over words and choke on air, and if this goes on, she certainly won’t be able to redeem herself. So with a deep breath and a slightly nervous grin, the blonde offers her arm for Lena to take. “Let’s.”

Angie welcomes them again when they walk into the restaurant. _Oriental 192_ has always been a favorite of Kara’s, and thankfully, fitting of a date like Lena’s. The place isn’t _too_ upscale, but it’s more than decent, warm and welcoming; the restaurant has a tall ceiling, with muted yellows and rustic wood as design. Soft music plays above them. The red carpeted floor dulls their footsteps as Angie guides them to the window seat, giving them a quiet view of the garden out back. Kara pulls back a chair for Lena and the model thanks her with smile.

“This place is lovely,” Lena says, then eyes Kara. “And the lack of people makes me wonder if it’s a secret gem, or if you rented out this place.”

Kara grins as she takes a seat as well. “I’ll keep that a secret.”

Angie arrives and hands them the menu. When she offers wine, the two women nod, and the server pours them some. “The potstickers here are to die for,” Kara tells Lena, then orders her usual potstickers, orange chicken, roasted duck, and some fried rice—physically stopping herself from ordering many other things she wanted to because this was, after all, a date, and not yet another chance to stuff her face full with food.

Lena only gets the beef and broccoli stir-fry. Which wasn’t a lot, really, and Kara stops herself from asking. Angie repeats their order. Kara and Lena nod and thank her, and the server leaves with a thumbs-up at the blonde’s direction. Kara shakes her head playfully, then turns to Lena to voice out her question.

“That’s really all you’re getting?” Kara asks.

Lena blinks slowly. “Yes,” she replies, and Kara thinks she imagines the pink dusting her cheeks. “I’m trying to watch my figure. I’m not as skinny as most models as it is.” She gives a self-deprecating laugh and sips her wine, but Kara could only stare.

“But you’re gorgeous as you are,” Kara says, like she is genuinely confused. “I mean. Trust me. I’ve seen you practically naked and you’re—god. I get hot flashes when I think about it.”

Kara pauses when she realizes what she just said. So much for redeeming herself. Lena just really has this effect on her, making her either a stuttering mess or an idiot with no filter. Kara doesn’t know which is worse.

Lena laughs though, the sound so much warmer now, and Kara forgives herself, even if it was just this once. “Keep going and we might just skip dinner,” Lena shoots back.

It takes everything in Kara not to choke on nothing. She lets out a breath and looks at Lena—really _looks_ at her—and though the blush on her cheeks is fading, Kara likes to think she understands more of her. “Is that a promise?”

“Well...” Lena smiles knowingly. “I was told the potstickers here were to die for, so ask me again later.”

Conversation with Lena is surprisingly easy, once Kara gets over her nerves and her confidence returns, so she doesn’t stammer as much. It’s like they have known each other for a long time, and it’s curious just how much of her Lena has taken in such little time, but it’s easy to figure out why. Lena is charming and playful, though Kara notices how she balks at praise, like she isn’t used to them.

Their food arrives after a while. They talk about a lot of things: Kara’s bike, Lena’s fear of flying, how kombucha tastes. Kara shares that it was definitely Alex who liked that Instagram post, but she does admit to _maybe_ stalking Lena. The model mentions she could arrange for her sister and Sam to meet. They talk about future projects, too, and Lena shares that her next photo shoot is scheduled the following month, so she is busying herself with a project.

“What’s it about?” Kara asks.

“It might just bore you," Lena dismisses. Kara shakes her head and takes a sip of her wine then turns her full attention to Lena. The woman looks down at her chopsticks for a moment, an amused smile on her face. “Well. We’re working on nanotechnology that can cure injuries, even so far as diseases. It can potentially lessen operation time from hours to mere minutes, and can be used in war zones, for example, without adding to the casualties. I—” Lena pauses and shakes her head again, looking like she had to physically stop herself from talking.

Kara furrows her eyebrows. “You...” She urges.

Lena laughs softly. “I think I’m rambling.”

The blonde shrugs. “I think it’s cute,” she says, and Lena rolls her eyes but Kara could see the pink dusting her pale cheeks. “And I can tell it’s important to you,” she explains. There is a spark in Lena’s eyes and an excitement in her voice while she talks, and if it was even possible, Kara finds her even more beautiful like this. “Besides. I’m curious.”

Lena bites her lip like she’s _shy_ , but she goes on to say that the project has been in the works since she was 19—essentially her life’s greatest work. She talks about how she and her team aim to change the world, how this could potentially be the fourth medical miracle. Kara couldn’t help the rush of pride as Lena spoke, and though she is completely aware of the fact that the model is more than just a pretty face, discovering _this_ part of Lena makes that weird fluttering in Kara’s chest known again. She manages to listen to the woman and throw in questions here and there, even as her eyes follow the movement of Lena’s red lips, the way she waves her hands as she explains about nano swarms and hive control.

They carry on their conversation until their meal is over. Kara shares her potstickers—a sight that seemed to have surprised Angie, as she raises an eyebrow while Kara feeds Lena a bite—and she manages to make Lena at least taste the mango pudding for dessert.

There’s a distant sound of the shutter that she hears. It’s a sound that she has come to memorize, and it makes Kara look up and around until she finds the source. A man with a camera stands near the entrance, camera in hand, taking photos of the two of them. Lena notices Kara looking, and when she turns to the direction, the model only scoffs before raising a hand and flipping the paparazzi off.

“That might just end up on tabloid front pages,” Kara murmurs worriedly.

Lena shrugs and takes a sip of her wine. “Don’t care. Besides, if I show them who I really am, they won’t need to speculate. I’m not going to be a good girl just for them.” She tilts her head and hums in thought. “Though, fair warning. I _do_ have a few… _passionate_ fans, you could say, who might see that. Just letting you know.”

Kara raises an eyebrow. “Are they going to send me threats for taking you on a date?” The model scrunches her nose. Kara laughs. “Interesting.”

“Oh?” Lena smirks. “Up for the challenge, Miss Danvers?” She practically _purrs._ Kara licks her lips.

“I’m just saying.” The blonde shrugs. “It’s just a date.”

“And if they see you taking me home?” Lena asks.

Kara’s lips part at that. So she _may_ have hoped for that—it’s why she brought an extra helmet, after all—but having it mentioned still has the blonde staring at Lena in disbelief. Let it not be said that Lena didn’t work to get what she wanted.

“Are you asking or telling?” Kara manages to say.

Lena leans back against her chair and eyes Kara with fire stoked by hunger. “Take me home.”

*****

Angie gives Kara another thumbs-up when they walk out of the restaurant. Kara repeats that she wasn’t bringing a car but her Harley instead. She doesn’t really expect Lena to bite her lip and whisper _hot_ under her breath but Kara takes it as a good sign.

“That your new girlfriend, Miss Luthor?” The paparazzi calls out as he keeps taking photos. Kara shields Lena with her back to the camera, then offers blazer for the model to take.

“It’ll be cold,” Kara says. Lena takes it with a murmur of thanks. The blonde offers the other helmet and puts on her own, then hops on the bike. Lena follows. When she wraps her arm around Kara’s waist, the blonde freezes for a moment, but she manages to relax despite their closeness.

She hopes Lena doesn’t hear or feel her racing heartbeat. Kara drives them away, and Lena gives the pap the middle finger. It makes Kara laugh.

Her laughter dies when Lena wraps both arms around her.

*****

The drive to Lena’s building was, thankfully, uneventful. It was quick, too; less than fifteen minutes into traffic and they are parking in the basement. Lena hops off the bike and Kara watches her take off the helmet with such _grace_ that Kara couldn’t help but think of those commercials. Surely no one’s hair could be that perfect?

“Come on,” Lena whispers, handing Kara her helmet. Kara takes her own off and secures them both to her bike, and soon enough, Lena is leading her to the elevators and punching the button for one of the higher floors. The building itself was one of the more expensive places in National City. Somehow she isn’t surprised, but the question must have been evident on her face.

“Family money,” is all Lena says.

When the elevator doors open, Lena walks past Kara and turns to her. There’s a smile on her face that is both teasing and mysterious, one that hooks Kara in. “Come on,” she says again. It takes Kara a moment to obey and step forward. She is certain her blazer didn’t look as good on her as it did on Lena.

The model leads her at the end of the hallway. The apartment that they walk in isn’t what Kara expected of Lena’s place; then again, she isn’t fully sure what she expected. Where Kara’s place looks homey and well-lived, Lena’s almost looked like the ones you’d find on Pinterest, or of model apartments from magazine pages. With the lights dimmed a little—Kara assumes they sense motion—she could only make out a little of the already-scarce decor. Her living room is of hardwood, the rug and furniture charcoal or white, the curtains the same color. There’s a painting that _looks_ like a Pollock but Kara can’t be sure. The view from the floor-to-ceiling windows is that of National City’s skyline, hidden away by dark curtains.

“Well,” Lena says softly as she turns to Kara and slowly pushes off the blazer from her shoulders. Blue gaze follows the dark fabric slide down pale  arms. “Welcome to my humble home. Would you like a drink?”

She drapes Kara’s blazer on the back of the couch and heads to the kitchen, her heels clicking on the floor. Kara follows wordlessly, dumbly, doing her very best to stay polite and keep her eyes away from where they _shouldn’t_ be.

The lighting isn’t probably meant to be romantic, but it doesn’t help that Lena walks with grace in her every step, like her mission is to dry out Kara’s throat and send every bit of moisture to her—

 _Shut up_.

The dining room and kitchen are joined and very much like the living room in terms of decoration. The table is made of marble, empty save for the fruit bowl in the middle. Everything else is _neat_.

“Your place is lovely,” Kara finally says. She stands near the table as Lena reaches for the cabinet overhead.

“Thank you,” she says, then pauses. She turns to Kara, one arm up as she reaches for what Kara assumes are glasses. Maybe. Her dress rides up a bit, showing off the top of her stockings and a hint of the garter belt she wears underneath. Kara can’t help but think of a few pairs from the photo shoot.

_Could she be— no. Shut up._

“So?” Lena looks at her knowingly. “I got whiskey, red, beer if you’re in the mood for it...” She smirks. “Anything you’d like?”

Kara licks her lips and drags her eyes from Lena’s thighs to meet her gaze. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears. “Whatever you’re in the mood for.”

Lena laughs. “Let’s not kid around Kara.” She closes the cabinet door quietly and turns to the blonde. The dim light casts shadows that make Lena’s features even sharper, her green eyes dark as they take in the blonde. “You know what I’m in the mood for.”

Kara swallows. She is suddenly conscious of the cool marble table against her hand as Lena steps closer. Her heels bring her at the same height as Kara. The blonde grips the edge of the table. Has it been this hot since they walked in? Kara lets out a long breath as Lena takes another step closer, like a predator moving in on her prey, but Kara can’t really move. Not when she wants to know exactly what Lena would do. “And what’s that?”

Those bright red lips curl into a smirk. Lena stands in front of her, green eyes mirthful as they lock with blue ones. It’s clear as day what Lena wants; there’s hunger in her gaze from earlier that hasn’t tempered, but Kara is thrilled to know what she might say.

Lena shrugs, like the answer is obvious. “You.”

Then Lena takes what she wants—she presses her body against Kara’s on the table, left hand on the marble edge while her right hand moves up to cup Kara’s cheek. The air knocks out of Kara’s lungs at the touch and there is no way to swim back up as Lena closes the distance between their lips. Lena tastes of wine and fruit, of _want,_ smells like a dream and a hint of vanilla, and though it takes seconds for Kara to react, she takes what _she_ wants, too. She thinks she imagines the way she feels Lena smile against her lips as she kisses her back, pulls away for a moment to breathe before diving back in.

She’s taking the lead this time.

Placing both hands on the curves of Lena’s waist, Kara pushes forward and takes a step. Lena isn’t expecting it as she gasps. Kara takes the chance to deepen the kiss, tasting more of Lena as their tongues meet just as the model’s back crashes against the nearest surface—her fridge. The lack of anything on the metal door means there aren’t fallen magnet souvenirs or bills or photos Kara has to worry about picking up. She couldn’t be bothered. Not when Lena brings her free hand to her hair and teeth sink on her bottom lip.

“God, _yes,”_ Lena hisses. Kara pulls back, only to pepper kisses down her jaw, her neck, tongue licking down that perfect column and tasting her skin.

“ _Lena,_ ” Kara whispers against her ear. Her hands twitch against Lena’s waist, and it’s only when she feels hands on them does she realize Lena is guiding them to her ass.

“Touch me.”

Kara looks up at Lena. Her hair is still immaculate, her lipstick smudged just a bit, but the want in her eyes is burning, like she wants—

“ _Please.”_

Kara obeys. Lena tugs her own dress up and Kara’s throat dries completely as her gaze focuses on a very familiar-looking set of lace panties. Maybe she should’ve taken that offer for a drink. Then she’s being pulled in for another kiss, passionate and hungry, and Lena clutches on to her like everything is escalating to fever pitch. There is a plea in the way Lena kisses her and Kara doesn’t let her beg some more. A trembling hand settles on Lena’s thigh, against the fabric of her stockings, then trails higher. A moan leaves Kara's lips, vibrating against Lena’s, as her fingers brush against _damp_ fabric.

“You’re wet,” Kara whispers in wonder, unable to stop herself, even as her digits tease Lena’s folds through her panties.

Lena laughs, but it dissolves into a moan. “You sound surprised,” she replies, barely-open eyes fluttering shut as Kara brings her fingers to rub higher until she presses a spot that makes Lena whimper. _Bingo. “_ Have you- _fuck,_ have you seen yourself? It’s not rocket science, Kara.”

“Have _you_ seen yourself?” Kara shoots back, lips latching onto Lena’s neck once more. She sucks on her skin lightly. Lena's paleness makes it easy to leave a mark, and Kara grazes her teeth against her skin just to tease, as her fingers grind against Lena's clit through her panties once more.

The dark-haired woman moans and throws her head back, hitting the hard surface of the fridge she was pinned against. Kara gasps and pauses, meaning to move her hands to check on Lena's head in concern, but Lena looks at her enough to glare.

"D-don't stop," she says, _demands,_ and Kara nods because she really doesn’t dare do so, not when Lena is trembling against her and practically offering herself up to the blonde.

Kara licks her lips just as Lena pulls her in for another kiss with one hand in her hair and the other on the back of her neck. The two women moan as the kiss escalates once more in a clash of teeth and tongues, but Kara takes the chance to push aside Lena’s panties and slide a lone finger down her folds. It makes Lena bite down on Kara’s bottom lip.

“Don’t tease,” Lena gasps, barely able to open her eyes. There isn’t a threat in her words, only something akin to another plea. For once, Kara feels like she is in control of things. She smiles at Lena and kisses the corner of her lips, as her digit dips into the woman’s entrance.

“Only fair, isn’t it, Lena?” She murmurs.

Lena _whimpers._ The hand in her hair loosens for a moment before tugging, like Lena is guiding her to her neck again, then the model is rolling her hips, seeking more of the teasing digit against her cunt. “Please…”

 _God._ Lena Luthor, begging for her. Kara didn’t certainly expect it, but it makes the blonde shudder, like every part of her wants to succumb to each and every whim of this goddess pinned against her. She hums against Lena’s neck, collects more of her wetness on her finger before dragging it back up to tease her sensitive nub. When Lena cries out and spreads her legs once more, thighs shaking with the effort of keeping herself up, Kara finally gives in.

Sliding her teasing finger inside Lena, the blonde muffles a groan against the model’s neck just as Lena moans her pleasure at _finally_ being filled. Kara could feel the tight heat around her singular digit, could hear the way Lena whimpers for more, and the model parts her thighs further for Kara as an invitation and the latter obeys, sliding a second finger inside Lena just as the dark-haired woman cries out her name.

“God, yes,” Lena sobs in relief. “Finally.”

_Finally?_

Lena cradles Kara’s face in her hands, pressing their foreheads together as she spreads her legs. The blonde gently pulls out her fingers and curves them as she slides back in, the pads of her digits already working to bring Lena to her peak. It doesn’t seem difficult, like Lena had been on the edge, and the knowledge of _her_ effect on the model makes Kara lick her lips. She wraps her free arm around Lena’s waist, taking off a bit of pressure on her shaky knees. Lena sags against the fridge. Kara watches that beautiful face contort with pleasure as she fucks her in a rhythm that is fast as she is impatient, right in Lena’s kitchen, without either of them shedding a single stitch. Lena is _drenched;_ Kara feels her juices drip down her palm, Lena’s own thighs, and even her own boyshorts are damp with her own arousal.

_Fuck._

The slick sounds of skin on wet skin and Lena’s little whimpers are interrupted by her soft gasp. Kara feels the clench of her walls around her digits. Lena trembles. “Gonna—”

She cuts of into a moan that Kara swallows with a kiss. “I got you,” she soothes.

Lena’s body tenses and her hands clutch Kara’s shoulders as she comes with a moan of Kara’s name, and the blonde tightens her arm around her to hold up  her trembling body. When Lena’s climax ebbs, she giggles and pants against Kara’s ear.

“Oops,” she whispers, hot breath making Kara shudder. “I ah… Got carried away there.”

“I don’t think I mind,” Kara says. She steps back slightly, and with her gaze locked on Lena’s she slowly pulls out her fingers, making Lena gasp at the loss. Never breaking eye contact, she brings her digits to her mouth and sucks Lena’s juices off of them. There’s a moaning sound that Kara is sure is her as Lena’s coats her tongue, but it seems Lena herself let out a whimpering sound. _Yes_ , she definitely needs to taste Lena now. “Yeah, I definitely don’t mind,” Kara murmurs.

Then there are hands on her hair and the back of her neck. Lena crashes their lips together and Kara barely has the breath to kiss back. There’s a moan from Lena, perhaps at the taste of herself on Kara’s mouth. She pulls Lena up with hands on her thighs, lifting the woman. Lena automatically wraps her legs around Kara’s waist, arms around her neck.

“Where’s your bedroom?” Kara manages to say. Lena just hums as she moves her kisses to Kara’s jaw. It’s distracting, to say the least; _that,_ and Kara doesn’t know where Lena’s bedroom is.

 _“Mhm._ My left,” Lena murmurs. She licks a stripe up Kara’s neck then nibbles her left earlobe. The blonde shudders. Her hands clench on Lena’s thighs, and just so she can keep the woman up despite her trembling frame, Kara slides her hands to Lena’s ass. “Door at the end of the hall,” Lena continues, then nips Kara’s lobe like she doesn’t mind Kara’s hands _there._

It takes a lot of sheer willpower for Kara not to pin Lena against another vertical surface, or on the stupid dinner table or on the couch that they pass by just because she couldn’t _wait,_ not when Lena isn’t being patient, peppering her neck with kisses and grinding against Kara’s clothed abs. It doesn’t help that she’s whispering Kara’s name like she’s her salvation and really, Kara’s had her fair share of women who talk dirty in bed, but nothing quite felt like Lena _moaning_ her name right against her ear.

They finally reach Lena’s bedroom after what feels like hours. Kara doesn’t even spare one look. She brings Lena to her massive bed and lowers her on the middle, pulling away to give the woman a glance. She almost loses it.

Lena’s hair is slightly messy, her red lipstick smudged, and her dress rides up to her hips that Kara could clearly see her the top of her stockings, held up by a garter belt, and black lace panties. They look familiar. Like… The one during the photoshoot, of the pair studded with crystals.

Kara licks her lips as she stares at the hint of skin exposed, teased by lace. “Is that…”

Lena makes a small frustrated sound and looks down between her legs to see what Kara is staring at. “My pussy? Yes,” she practically growls, but she seems to realize but Kara means and she laughs lightly. “Oh. You mean the ones from yesterday? Yeah,” she breathes, then bites her lip.

This woman is going to be the end of her.

“Is that why you asked if you could have them? So you could tease?” Kara asks, tentatively putting her hands on Lena’s thighs, the pads of her fingertips brushing against the top of the stockings. She could feel how _hot_ Lena’s skin feels against hers as she drags her fingers higher, higher until she touches the hem of the black dress Lena wears. Blue and green gaze follow the motion, and the two women exchange an intense look.

Lena smirks. “No, but I guess it’s an added bonus,” she says. “Take my dress off?” She scoots up a bit so Kara could pull the garment over her butt to her waist. The blonde pauses, waiting for an answer. Things burn like fire and she finds it hard to breathe, but slowing down might just help her pull herself together and, for once, be the one to _tease._

“So why?” Kara insists. Lena licks her lips and takes a shuddering breath, like it’s hard to admit her next words.

“Because I ruined them,” she says, managing to sound so casual even when it’s a revelation she just said.

Kara’s hands clench on the fabric of Lena’s dress, yet to be shed. “Sorry, what?” She says dumbly. Lena rolls her eyes playfully.

“Will it get you to take the damn dress off if I admit I got _wet_ during the shoot?” She says. “You were looking like you wanted to _eat_ me.” There’s a slight tremor in her voice. Kara can’t pinpoint if it’s nervousness or arousal. Still, the admission has her swallowing thickly, and within the next second she was pulling the dress up and off of Lena to somewhere behind her. The model sighs in satisfaction but Kara could only stare yet again. Lena is wearing the black lace lingerie designed with crystals, with the cage-style bra with too many straps that only accentuated her breasts. Kara had seen this yesterday and almost broke her camera with how tightly she held onto it while taking photos of Lena, but now, _now_ that she’s mere inches away from the woman wearing _this_ specific pair, Kara both feels like she’s going to pass out any minute with all the moisture in her body running south, and like she wants to get on her knees and praise every inch of  this woman with her mouth.

“You’ve seen this yesterday,” Lena points out shakily. Kara looks up at her. She realizes what the tremor in her voice is, this time. _Nerves._

“Not like this,” Kara whispers. Slowly, she leans in to kiss Lena once more; less hurried this time but still as hungry. Despite Lena’s   _want,_ she kisses back and buries her fingers in blonde hair, spreads her legs to accommodate the woman between them. “You’re beautiful,” Kara breathes against her jaw as she drags her lips to Lena’s neck, like she’s praying to every higher being. “So beautiful…”

“I’d tell you I’ll let you in my pants if you keep talking like that but we’re already here,” Lena shoots back, but she gasps when Kara nips her neck again. She whimpers. Kara thinks she imagines the plea for her to _mark her,_ but when she doesn’t do anything, she hears it, clear as day.

“Go ahead,” Lena sighs. “Mark me.”

It does things to Kara. She takes a shaky breath before complying, wrapping her lips around Lena’s pulse point and _sucking._ Lena moans as she arches her back, grinding her core against Kara’s clothed stomach once more.

“Kara,” Lena whispers; a plea, a _command,_ and Kara obeys. She moves lower, trailing kisses and nips down Lena’s skin. The straps of her bra brush against Kara’s cheek and skin, but she doesn’t take it off. She kisses the fabric, right over Lena’s nipples, and feels for the hard nub beneath it before biting. Lena’s answering moan of her name makes Kara shiver in the best of ways. The blonde continues her trek downwards as Lena’s hands push her head down and pull on her hair, like she doesn’t know where she wants Kara. The photographer knows what she wants, though; her lips reach the lace around Lena’s waist just as her hands palm her clothed breasts. Lena growls for Kara to _take it off,_ but Kara only hums.

Oh, the power she has right now. It’s intoxicating. Or was that Lena’s effect on her?

“Patience, love,” she whispers, the term of endearment flying over her head as Lena’s scent invades her nose. She drags her hands down Lena’s sides until she could take off the straps that connect to her stockings, but her senses focus on the prize in front of her.

"Just take it off,” Lena whimpers this time. Kara hums as she leans down to press a kiss on Lena’s trembling thighs and looks up at frustrated green eyes.

“I wouldn’t want to waste such a lovely sight, Lena,” the blonde whispers, then kisses the model’s core through the fabric of her panties. The fabric is still wet from her earlier orgasm and Kara can’t help but think of how Lena was _wet_ for _her,_ during the shoot. “Besides. The night is long enough and… I _do_ want to eat you.”

 _“Fuck.”_ Lena’s voice quivers and she drops her weight on the mattress, like Kara’s words made her weak on the knees. The blonde feels fingers comb through her hair and tug lightly before pushing her lower, and Kara takes the invitation. She leans in, pressing a kiss against the top of Lena’s covered sex. She takes her time, relishing Lena’s whimpers and moans and the way she pushed and pulled Kara’s hair. She tastes Lena against the damp fabric of her panties until she couldn’t help herself anymore; she pulls Lena’s legs over her shoulders and uses her left thumb to hook the fabric of her panties to the side until her soaked core is revealed to hungry eyes, more black now than blue. Before Lena could plead once more, Kara is leaning forward and giving her dripping folds a tentative lick that has the model arching her back and screaming Kara’s name for her walls to hear and echo for weeks to come.

Kara shows Lena just how much she _wants_ her. She drinks her in like a woman parched, and despite the offending fabric still in her way she doesn’t take it off, instead does her best with Lena’s panties still on. Her tongue explores Lena, discovering how to draw moans and whimpers from the beautiful woman. Lena surrenders; Kara takes the lead this time, teases and pleases with two fingers sliding home and lips around Lena’s clit, licking and sucking until the model is moaning Kara’s name once more as she comes, perfect body taut and thighs trembling against the sides of Kara’s head.

When Lena collapses on the bed with a tired giggle, Kara pulls back with a lick of her lips. She eyes the woman hungrily and makes a quick work of the Lena’s ruined panties.

“Again?” She frankly asks.

Lena blinks at her owlishly, before a scandalous smile takes over her lips. “I take back ever doubting you.”

Kara laughs as she moves up, kissing Lena before bringing her hands to her bra. “I’m hurt,” she playfully pouts, then guides Lena to sit up so she could take the garment off.

“In my defense, you were very _nervous.”_ Lena giggles. She reaches for Kara’s shirt. She makes a quick work of undoing the buttons and bites her lip as the top falls open, giving a view of Kara’s sports bra and her toned abs. She drags her gaze up to a smirking Kara.  “Not so nervous now, are you?”

“No,” Kara admits. She leans in to kiss Lena again and pulls away to reach for the lace around the woman’s waist. “Mostly I just want to ravish you.”

She tugs the material down and chucks it to the side, only leaving Lena’s stockings and high heels on. Kara kisses her way down to her thighs and slowly peels off the left stocking, trailing the slow descent of fabric with kisses on every inch revealed, and takes her heels off as well. She does the same with the other until Lena is left bare for her hungry eyes to see, her pale form gorgeous and _aching_ to be touched.

And Kara _touches—_ explores and memorizes every curve and depth of Lena’s body like she’s painting an image of her in her mind guided by her mouth and fingers. The walls of Lena’s bedroom come to know the many ways Kara’s name could be said, moaned, _praised,_ uttered with words that could make sailors blush. Every ounce of control Kara practiced the day before in the guise of professionalism had vanished, translated into frantic, passionate movements of lips and teeth and tongue, of fingers and hips, until Kara and Lena are a tangle of limbs on the bed, panting for breath.

“Thank god I don’t have anything scheduled tomorrow,” Lena declares to the quiet of the night, a lazy but satisfied smile on her lips as she glances at Kara. “I don’t think I can move.”

The blonde licks her lips and laughs lightly. “Water?”

Lena grins gratefully. “You remember where the fridge is?”

Kara _smirks._ “How could I forget?” She rolls out of bed naked as the day she was born and she feels eyes on her as she walks out of the bedroom. She pads to the kitchen to get two water bottles in the fridge; it’s well-stocked, considering Lena seems to live alone in this place. Kara finally has the chance to look around her apartment—it looks and _feels_ expensive, with furniture that is probably more expensive than Kara’s entire place. Heck, even the monthly rent for this place is probably worth more than she earns in an entire year. It’s clear that Lena is loaded, and yet…

And yet, her apartment—her supposed _home_ —feels… lonely.  There aren’t photos on the walls unlike Kara’s place, filled with her family’s and friends’, no magazines or photo albums on the coffee table that take up all the space on it, no well-used blankets and pillows on the couch or DVDs left open on the TV stand. Either Lena’s been here for just a few weeks and she hasn’t had time to decorate or… Well, Kara doesn’t want to think about the other possible reason, because there’s an unfamiliar ache that settles in her chest at it.

She returns to the bedroom and finds Lena lying on her back on the bed, sheets covering her waist down, but her left arm is over her face as she seems to be asleep. Kara studies her in the dim light of the room.

“That’s stalker behavior,” Lena calls out after a while, making Kara jump in surprise. The blonde laughs softly.

“I’m just regarding a masterpiece,” Kara shoots back. She walks to the bed as Lena sits up.

“So… Where was all… _this_ during the shoot?” She asks, gesturing to the blonde. Kara smiles and offers the bottle of water that Lena takes with a murmur of thanks.

“Hiding away behind the camera,” she says softly. She sits on the edge of the bed and takes a gulp of her water. “Why, do you like this better?”

Lena smiles fondly but doesn’t answer until she’s finished half of her bottle. “I don’t know,” she muses. “I kind of like you all… flustered and adorable. Not to say you aren’t being cute right now.”

Kara scrunches her nose at that and pouts playfully. Lena grins at her. She glows with happiness and contentment, and Kara aches all over again when she remembers Lena’s living room.

“So. How long have you lived here?” Kara asks after a while.

Lena shrugs and hums in thought. “I don’t know… Two years or so?”

 _Two years._ There is that ache in her chest again, and Kara can’t help but reach out for Lena’s cheek, cradling her like she is all that mattered in the moment. Kara smiles warmly despite the sadness that curls in her chest.

“Where have you been these past two years?” She murmurs.

Lena’s eyebrows furrow for a moment before playfulness come to life into green eyes once more. She quirks kiss-bruised lips. “Looking for you,” she shoots back easily. She pulls back after a while to put down her bottle and Kara does the same. In the quiet of the room, Lena looks at her, eyes searching.

“Are you going to stay the night?” She asks, sounding so anxious once more that Kara remembers yesterday, when Lena asked her for drinks—hopeful and terrified just the same.

The blonde sighs and pulls Lena to her, burying her face on Lena’s shoulder. Lena chuckles softly against her hair as Kara wraps her arms around her. “It’s cold outside and this right here is _very_ warm,” she murmurs, like she’s telling Lena a secret. “I think I’m more inclined to stay.”

Lena doesn’t reply. Not until they settle down on the bed, cuddled together, just as Kara feels sleep claim her.

“Thank you.”

*****

The morning sun filters through the blinds, carrying the sleeping Kara to the shores of consciousness. The blonde hums as she wakes, blinking away exhaustion and the remnants of sleep. Blue gaze flutter open to focus on Lena lying on her back beside Kara, dark hair fanned over the pillows, lips parted slightly. A slow smile takes over Kara’s face, satisfaction seeping in her bones just as the warmth of the sun tickles her skin. Lena looks so much at peace; without the mask of her bold playfulness, she looks soft and innocent, and still every inch of the masterpiece she is. Kara itches to touch her flawless face to pull her into a morning greeting, make those lips as kiss-swollen as they were last night—or was it just hours before? Lena’s neck, though, is littered with the marks Kara left. In her defense, Lena _begged_ for them.

A part of Kara wants to take photo of Lena like this, but she doesn’t want to invade the woman’s privacy. So she stares— _observes_ the way the sunlight caresses Lena’s skin, how the shadows make her features sharper, how her eyelids flutter like butterfly wings as she wakes up that send the ones in Kara’s chest in chaos.

“Stop staring,” Lena says sleepily. She hums for a moment and blinks away sleep as she turns to lie on her side to face Kara. The blonde smiles. There’s the warmth and mirth in green eyes once more; Lena’s lips quirk up in a smile, and Kara is hit with how easy and _familiar_ this feels—like she doesn’t mind waking up every day to this exact sight, by coming home from dreamland to Lena smiling at her like _that._

“I just want to remember how you look right now,” Kara whispers truthfully. Her hand aches to reach out to Lena, but she stays still.

Lena scrunches her nose. “I literally just woke up. I probably have crusty eyes and drool on my chin,” she mutters, moving her hand to wipe the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand as if to check. She glances up at Kara with mild amusement in her eyes.

“Shut up,” Kara giggles. “You’re beautiful, Lena. Whether you’re all dolled up for the camera or like this.”

A blush dusts Lena’s cheeks and she looks up at the ceiling as if to shake the color away. “Whatever,” she shoots back lamely. She glances at Kara again. “Anyway, I’m sure a photo lasts longer, Miss Photographer.”

“I didn’t want to take one without your permission,” Kara admits. “Even if it’s just for my eyes to see. Besides…” The blonde grins and lifts her hand, finally succumbing to her need to _touch._ She reaches out and reverently brushes Lena’s face with her knuckles, like she isn’t fit to touch a creation like Lena. Kara sighs dreamily. “Nothing compares to the real thing.”

“Wow.” Lena chuckles, though the pink on her cheeks doesn’t fade. Her smile widens as she shifts closer to Kara and angles her face to let the blonde cup her cheek. “Sweet talker.”

“Just telling the truth,” Kara hums.

Lena sighs, one that echoes the contentment Kara feels. The sense of dread that comes with it, the voice that says such contentment does not and _cannot_ last, reminds her that this might just be the first and the _last_ time this can happen with Lena. And though a part of her knows she should be satisfied—because it’s better than nothing, really, and her night with the woman had been far beyond memorable—there is a preemptive sense of loss that begins to dig its way in her chest, right where the butterflies Lena set loose conjure a storm of feelings.

Green gaze fixate on Kara for a few heartbeats, like Lena is trying to figure out if she’s a dream. “I want to kiss you,” Lena murmurs.

Kara laughs softly. “What’s stopping you?” She asks, caressing a pale cheek with her thumb.

Lena scrunches her nose. “Morning breath.”

The blonde rolls her eyes, mutters _as if_ under her breath, and closes the distance between their lips. Lena instantly melts against her. Kara feels her hand on top of hers on Lena’s cheek. The kiss isn’t as fervent as last night’s; it’s slow, almost tentative, like how first kisses should be, and Kara smiles against Lena’s lips at the thought.

“What’s funny?” Lena murmurs as she pulls away, though she mirrors the smile on Kara’s lips.

“Nothing,” Kara murmurs, breath tickling Lena’s skin. “Good talk.” She grins.

Lena outright laughs—the sound is warm like the morning sun through her blinds, dusting away the longing that has been building in Kara’s chest. “Well,” she starts, presses another firm kiss on Kara’s lips like she’s sealing a promise. “I hope this isn’t the last time we… talk.”

Kara pulls back just enough to meet Lena’s gaze. Her green eyes are hopeful and anxious, the same way they were when she approached Kara after the shoot: like she’s hanging everything on a line, including herself, and it’s up to Kara to come catch her.

So she does, arms wide open as she sweeps in all that is Lena and holds her dear.

“I hope not either.”

*****

_lenaluthor tagged you in a photo._

Kara blinks at the notification on her  phone. It’s almost noon and she just got home after… spending the better part of her morning over at Lena’s place. She hasn’t touched her phone since last night, so she isn’t really surprised with the amount of missed calls and messages from Alex and Winn.

It’s the notification that she opens though, leading her to Instagram to a photo of her looking just behind the camera. At Lena. It already had a couple of hundred likes, considering she _just_ opened it. The caption reads _I had to beg to be allowed to take and post this photo._

A chuckle falls from Kara’s lips at the memory of it.

“Does the photographer like her pictures being taken?” Lena had asked. Kara looked up from where she’s tying her boots and turned to Lena.

“For a price.”

It was a price Lena was more than _willing_ to pay, and Kara enjoyed it very thoroughly. She could still hear how Lena moaned, begged _Kara, please, make me come,_ and she could still taste the woman on her tongue. She double-taps the photo to leave a like, then heads to her DMs to send Lena a message.

 _Great photo,_ she types, then sends it immediately.

Lena’s reply doesn’t come soon. Kara kicks off her boots and heads to the kitchen to get something to drink. She stands by the dinner table, chugging down water to hydrate. Her phone vibrates with a reply from Lena. She lowers her glass and takes her phone to read it.

She drops her phone when she sees what Lena’s reply is. The device thuds on the table and falls face up, Kara’s inbox staring back at her: It’s a photo of Lena, on the bed, dark hair fanned around her, a hint of the curves of her breasts just at the corner of the image. She’s biting her lip, green eyes amused and _teasing._ Always teasing. Kara takes a deep breath and picks up her phone.

“Cheeky woman,” she mutters. Another message from Lena comes in.

 _How about this one?,_ it reads. _Took me a while to find good lighting._

Kara sighs deeply and stares at her phone for a few  more moments before finding words to reply with.

_Is that offer for a private shoot still on the table?_

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title of chapter from Islands by The xx.
> 
> now accepting the lives, souls, and firstborns i was promised in exchange for this update.
> 
> in case you missed it, [here are the lingerie worn in the first chapter](https://twitter.com/potstickerzzz/status/1092981770084003840)
> 
> and [here is a beautiful artwork by the amazing Lisa](https://twitter.com/gayandmediocre/status/1094076140564725761) of Lena in the lingerie she wore here! 
> 
> thanks for reading, lemme know what you think! i'm still getting back on the groove for writing dshfsdkjf smut is hard idk how to do it


	3. click, click, click, and post

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second date and a private shoot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from “imagine” by Ariana Grande, as suggested by Milly (@melbnst on Twitter). Reactions and feedback are very much appreciated, thanks for reading!

One of the benefits of working at home is being able to wake up whenever Kara wanted. The sun is well up in the sky when she stirs on her bed, hand immediately patting under her pillow for her phone.

_10:03AM_

An achievement, really. This might be one of the reasons she can’t get used to 6AM call times; though she does get to them on-time, it’s always with caffeine in her bloodstream, which doesn’t make for stable hands on her camera.

“That’s what tripods are for,” Winn would say. Kara always liked keeping her camera on-hand. It was easier to get better photos that way.

There are multiple emails, three texts from her friends, and several Instagram notifications that has Kara squinting at her phone. She reaches out for her glasses and puts them on, then ignores the work-related emails for now to open her Instagram.

_dianaprince tagged you in a photo._

Kara has a handful of notifications from the people who liked the said photo: it’s of Diana Prince during her visit at the National City Arts Museum, wearing a white dress with three-quarters sleeves and distinct x-stitches on the side. She is working on one of the artworks that arrived that day for the museum. Kara visited as requested by James—she’s a freelancer in need of gigs in between her big shoots, after all. The photo is a casual one Kara took, one published on the CatCo website. Kara smiles proudly. She’s credited properly in the post, and though no one really knows her, she does notice the few new followers she has who are probably Diana’s fans.

In Kara’s inbox is a message of thanks from Diana, then a message from Lena.

_Didn’t know you knew Diana._

Kara stares at the message, not sure what to make of it. _She_ didn’t know Lena knew Diana, and Kara becomes curious of how she came to know of the curator. She grins as an idea pops in her head and she types a series of replies:

 _We met when I visited the museum._ _  
_ _I actually don’t really know her…_

 _But let me guess, you personally know_ _  
_ _her_

_Because she’s a curator_

_And you’re a masterpiece?_

The messages are sent without much thought, and once they’re off to Lena, Kara has to shake her head at herself. _That_ was probably too much. Funny, but too much. It was one of the things she’d playfully tell her friends, not the gorgeous woman she had just taken out on _one_ date and have spent a good deal of a day and a half with naked.

Kara bites her lip and almost throws her phone to the middle of her bed so she doesn’t send an apology, though she does think of doing so lest Lena reconsiders her invitation for the private shoot Kara asked for.

When Kara sent her rather forward inquiry about the private shoot the day before, she was fully expecting a playful reply from Lena along the lines of _how much are you willing to pay?_ or _send me some peg shots._ When Lena agreed without question and asked if Kara would like to come over for lunch too, the blonde was pleasantly surprised. Despite wanting to see Lena again, sooner rather than later—there it is, like always, the flutter when she thinks of seeing the woman—a few more days of waiting was more than fine for Kara, considering she had been staring— _working—_ on Lena’s lingerie photos. Lena had scheduled their shoot on a Saturday, citing work for the rest of the week loaded with lab visits and meetings. Which is interesting to know, because she didn’t know Lena still put on a lot of hours as bioengineering consultant.

She rolls out of bed with a yawn and takes the black elastic around her left wrist to put her hair up in a messy bun. She grabs her phone and pads her way out of the bedroom, still in her boxer shorts and loose tee, then heads to the kitchen where she puts on a pot of coffee. It’s practically brunch now. Given her lack of skills in the kitchen, she’d much rather order her usual instead of trying to cook something. She pops some bread into the toaster to tide her hunger for a few more minutes. After texting the little restaurant at the ground floor of the building next to her apartment for her lunch delivery, she goes on to start her work day.

Plate of toast and cup of coffee that’s half sugar and creamer in tow, Kara heads to her home office to finish her current project. Submission for Lena’s photos is at the end of the week. She’s almost done, one full day before the deadline, which was new considering she almost always has to cram work.

It definitely has nothing to do with Lena.

Her phone buzzes on her desk. Kara nibbles on her buttered toast as she checks it. She smiles as she reads Lena’s name.

 _I was going to play the jealous card but_  
_that’s actually cute. I do know Diana,_  
_though. We used to work together._

Kara is surprised at that reply. She dwells on the first part of the message and grins as she types her reply.

_Jealous, huh?_

Lena’s reply comes sooner this time.  
_She’s gorgeous._

Kara chuckles. Lena is right, Diana Prince _is_ gorgeous. Incredibly tall, too, and speaks as if she’s decades older than she looks, so Kara replies with her next thought as she waits for her laptop to boot.

 _I’d say, but I do have my eyes on a certain_ _  
_ _someone._

 _You said you used to work together_ _  
_ _though? Didn’t realize she modeled too._

She watches the bubbles indicating that Lena is typing before they disappear. They appear a few seconds after, then vanish again, almost as if Lena is typing and re-typing her reply. It takes Kara to the edge of her seat until Lena’s response comes in.

 _She didn’t. We worked together in a_ _  
_ _foundation a few years back._

_Children in the Arts._

It’s fascinating to know these kinds of things about Lena. They don’t see each other for the rest of the week, what with her work and Kara’s own busy schedule—she has a pre-production meeting the next day and another shoot on Friday for a book author, and in between was finalizing her submission to Nia for _Lace Studio_ , Cat’s line—but they message and occasionally call, telling each other of their day or of the most random things. It’s how Kara discovered that Lena used to have a pet tarantula and that she’s irrationally terrified of flying. _Opposites attract,_ Kara playfully quipped over the phone when she shared she hates spiders and loves flying and heights. Lena’s smirk had been audible in her answering hum.

It makes Kara feel giddy, like she’s a highschool girl with a crush. It’s definitely more than just a _crush,_ though; Lena is gorgeous, of course, but in the few days that Kara had known her, she has discovered how much more beautiful she is as a person. Lena is charming and playful in ways unhealthy for Kara’s heart, fucking brilliant, kind, caring and compassionate, almost to a fault.

Kara _likes_ her, that much she knows. It makes her conscious of the things she says, terrified that she might scare Lena away if she becomes too clingy or too... playful. She likes to think they are on the same page, though Kara lacks the guts to send suggestive photos of herself like Lena does. The photo from the morning after, of Lena’s face and neck and upper chest littered with marks Kara left, is long gone from their inbox—Kara didn’t save it either—but it’s still very much seared in her mind.

Saturday rolls in with work finally out of the way. Kara gets up relatively early to get herself and her gear ready. She chooses to bring her old but handy camera, a well-used Canon that was a gift from Alex, along with a prime lens that she packs in a brown leather camera bag. Nothing too fancy for a casual photo shoot.

She reminds herself, yet again, that the lunch date aside, this was going to be a photo shoot. That was what Lena agreed with, after all, and Kara veers away from thoughts of funny business. It’s harder the past few days considering she had been staring at photos of Lena in sinful cuts of lace. If _that_ wasn’t already distracting enough, add the fact that her stupid gay brain kept making her imagine— _remember_ —what was under those expensive underwear.

Kara wears a fitting pastel blue oxford shirt that she dresses down with a denim jacket and skin-tight black jeans ripped at the knees, something Alex suggested, because “you’re there for a date, Kara, not an actual client shoot.” Her glasses are forgone once more because she _is_ coming over to Lena’s for a _shoot,_ and she’d rather not have them in the way.

She drives her bike by a flower shop near Lena’s building to get a vase of colorful flowers—nothing too romantic, but more of something to give Lena’s place a splash of color. The building security is expecting her and tells her to park at the basement, where she did the last time she was here. Kara licks her lips at the memory. With her camera bag over her shoulder and the vase of colorful lilies in her arms, Kara makes her way to Lena’s apartment.

Kara runs her hand through her hair nervously as she stands in front of the door. It’s weird to be _nervous,_ and yet, here she was, with the fluttering butterflies in her belly. After a few seconds, she finally clears her throat and knocks.

“Fuck. Um, door’s open!”

Kara smiles at Lena’s voice. She opens the door and lets herself in. The delicious smell of food wafts from the kitchen to where Kara stands, and she takes in a deep breath before walking in. She dumps her camera bag on the couch in the living room before making her way to the kitchen, vase of flowers in her hands. The smile on her lips widen at the sight of Lena; the model is mirroring said smile, a wooden spoon in hand, her hair in a messy bun and her lips tinted with a light shade of red. She’s wearing a plain black apron over a white dress shirt tucked neatly in tight pants, her feet bare.

“Sorry about the mess. This was supposed to be done before you arrived but alas…” She trails off with a small laugh and bobs her head towards the vase of flowers in Kara’s hands. “Peruvian lilies,” she says.

Kara looks down on them before she sets the vase on the dinner table. She couldn’t even remember what they were called. She grins at it before shrugging. “Just a little gift? Thought it could give your place a little pop of color.”

Lena smiles. “They’re beautiful. Thank you.” She turns to switch off the stove with a soft beep just as Kara steps forward to look at what she’s cooking. “They’re mostly given to _friends_ , though.”

Friends?

“Oh. _Oh.”_ Kara blinks at that. She looks at Lena with a confused and panicked expression, glances at the colorful bunch of lilies, then at Lena again. “Um. I didn’t- I’m not—” She grumbles and reaches to fiddle with her glasses before realizing she wasn’t wearing them. Her fingers land on the bridge of her nose and she scratches her ring on her right nostril. Oh, great. Well. She supposes it’s better to have her intentions laid out in the open. She likes Lena. Lena seems to like her. Slow burn love stories are for romance novels and crappy superhero shows, right? No point beating around the bush. She feels warmth on her cheeks as she shifts her weight from foot to foot. “I don’t just… want to be friends with you?”

Lena laughs softly, though there seems to be a slight tremor of relief in the sound. “Good. I don’t think I can be _just friends_ with you, anyway.” She bites her lip and pauses, like she didn’t mean the words to slip away, but when she meets Kara’s gaze she seems to mean every word. It brings Kara relief, of course. “I was worried that was your subtle way of… You know.” Lena shrugs and takes the pan of pasta in white sauce—alfredo?—to transfer it on the two plates on the counter. She eyes Kara, as if waiting for the woman to fill in the blanks.

When Kara realizes what she means, she shakes her head vehemently.

“No! No, no,” she assures with a nervous laugh. She scratches her nose then pushes her hands in her denim jacket pockets. “Um. I didn’t know about… What they meant. I just thought they’re pretty and, um, that they’d look nice here.” Maybe she should have settled with the bouquet of red roses, but those were too typical, though she should probably have asked what the lilies meant before getting them.

“They do,” Lena smiles. She takes some green stuff from a small dish and sprinkles it as garnish on top of the pasta. Kara hums softly as the other woman sets them on the table. Lena eyes the colorful flowers. “I like that you veered away from the typical choice of roses.”

“Ah.” Kara scratches the back of her neck at that. “Almost did, to be honest. I didn’t know you were into flowers.” She steps aside as Lena takes a wooden board from the oven. A perfectly-cooked slab of meat rests on it, very much like how it would’ve been served in a fancy restaurant. Lena sets it on the table, too. There’s a bottle of wine cooling in a bucket and two glasses set on the table. “Or that you cook…” She smiles warmly at Lena. The butterflies in Kara’s stomach flap their wings into a storm because _wow._ No one’s really put this much effort for her before.

Lena chuckles and nods. She takes off her apron and hangs it on the wall before walking to Kara. “Surprise?”

It catches Kara by surprise, too, when Lena moves close enough to lean in and kiss her on the cheek. She stiffens for a moment before melting into the touch. Lena bites her lip, as if wondering if she did the right thing, and when Kara looks at her with a bashful smile and warmth in her cheeks, the raven-haired woman relaxes.

“I’ll take your jacket then we can eat?” Lena offers.

Kara shrugs her denim jacket off and watches as Lena walks away to hang it on the rack by the door. Despite how casual she was dressed, there is still that grace in her every step that has Kara staring.

“I didn’t spill wine on my shirt, did I?” Lena asks, looking consciously at her top as she returns to the kitchen.

“Drinking while cooking? Scandalous.” Kara shakes her head and she sighs dreamily, blue eyes sweeping Lena’s form before locking with her gaze. “You’re beautiful.”

Lena pauses mid-step at that and looks at Kara incredulously. She doesn’t say anything, just smiles and shakes her head. “I did spend some time preparing lunch, so we’ll need to eat _actual food_ before anything else.”

The meaning of her words isn’t lost on Kara and she blushes, _again,_ before pulling out a chair for Lena to sit on. “You didn’t have to,” Kara says. “I would’ve been fine with takeout.”

Lena shrugs and smiles as she puts a hand on Kara’s on the back of the chair. “I assumed as much, _but_ you did insist paying for our first date and, well, I didn’t want anyone else to spoil lunch for us.” She gasps . “Oh, I almost forgot.”

She walks back to the counter to what Kara assumes is a slow cooker and takes out a plate of—

Potstickers. Kara gasps. “Are those—”

“From Oriental? Yes.” Lena chuckles and sets the plate of still steaming potstickers beside the steak. “Just in case the rest of the food isn’t up to par. Angie says hi, by the way.”

“Okay. Right.” Kara licks her lips as she looks at the potstickers then narrows her eyes at Lena. “Did she say anything?”

Lena laughs and she finally takes a seat. “Something about you being right.” She tilts her head as Kara sits on the chair beside her. “Right about what?”

Kara furrows her eyebrows in thought before remembering Angie’s words as the blonde waited for Lena the other night. _Hot date._ Kara shakes her head and chuckles. “Something about my date being, um.” She clears her throat and watches as Lena pours them some wine. “Hot.”

A smirk laces Lena’s lips at that. Kara murmurs a thanks and sips on the red liquid as the raven-haired model looks at her with a knowing glance.

“Hot, huh.”

Kara huffs. “I had other choice words,” she defends, face half-hidden with her wine glass. “I was just nervous.”

Lena shrugs. “I don’t mind. I do kind of like reducing you into a stuttering mess.” She locks gazes with Kara and smiles in satisfaction. “Or one with quite a _limited_ vocabulary.”

“I noticed," Kara mutters. "Half sure you have that effect on everyone you meet.”

Lena laughs again, and the blonde smiles at the sound as she tries to calm the excited nerves in her chest. The model’s confidence is _exhilarating._ It makes Kara wonder if she imagined the shaky relief in Lena’s voice earlier, when she made her intentions of being more than just friends known—or, once again, her nervousness when she asked Kara out, or when she had seen her in her most vulnerable. It’s interesting, to say the least, to see such a stark contrast to Lena’s brazenness peeking through her playful, bold demeanor.

It captivates Kara, this certain side of Lena’s, and she wants to _see_ all of who Lena is, wants to capture _her_ —this almost secretive smile on her lips, the warmth in her green eyes, the way she looks at Kara like she wants to do the same.

“Half sure you know how to reduce me to a stuttering mess,” Lena quips, before laughing again when Kara coughs on another sip of her wine.

They dig into their lunch when Kara has calmed herself down, though the amusement in Lena’s eyes never quite leaves. It only fades into eager focus as they talk over lunch about the past few days, which involves Kara talking about the photo sets she submitted to Nia. Of course, that gives Lena more fuel for teasing, though one mention of how exquisitely gorgeous Lena was on the photos had her blushing and shaking her head like she isn’t used to flattery.

The food is _fantastic,_ though, and Kara tries not to be too surprised, but she doesn’t spare hold back on her compliments on Lena’s cooking.

“Could you be any more perfect?” She half-laughs, just as she swallows a bite of the beef that practically melted in her mouth.

Lena looks down as pink dusts her pale cheeks. She cuts a piece of the steak with practiced movements and shrugs. “My mother’s a… conservative, you could say. She made sure I’d be the best wife to whichever rich, young man I’d marry.” She pushes the bite of meat to her mouth and barely hides a smile when she swallows and speaks again. “You’re reaping the benefits.”

Kara grins. “Do I have to wife you then?”

The model answers with a smirk and a raised eyebrow that has Kara’s teasing words flying out of her rational mind. “That’s not a second date topic, is it?” Lena says.

Kara sputters, and Lena giggles in that way where she scrunches her nose and makes Kara’s heart race. No, she doesn’t think it’s a second date topic. God, they just met a few days ago, didn’t they? But is it such a crime to _imagine that?_ Especially when she thinks about— _remembers_ —how familiar waking up to Lena smiling at her felt, like she could—

Okay. Definitely not second date material, especially when Kara wants to make sure she doesn’t scare Lena away.

“Is your mom the reason why you know so much about flowers?” Kara asks, forcing herself away from such thoughts.

If Lena noticed, she doesn’t show any indication. She only smiles at Kara, then at the vase of colorful blooms on the center of the table like she’s deep in thought all of a sudden. “Kind of? We have a… garden, back home. A big one.” She shrugs. Kara remembers her mentioning family money. “Mother tends to a lot of flowers and I was a curious child craving her mother’s attention, so I spent a lot of time reading about the flowers there just to impress her.”

“That’s cute. I’d love to see your garden,” Kara says. When Lena stares at her knowingly, Kara rolls her eyes and grins. “I did mean your garden! Maybe you can show off your floral knowledge.”

Lena laughs. “Maybe sometime soon. It’s been a while since I’ve been back there. Could be a good enough reason to.” She shrugs and takes a bite of her remaining pasta.

“Not close with your mom?” Kara asks tentatively.

“You could say that,” Lena chuckles. She fidgets with her fork. Kara almost regrets asking.

“You don’t have to talk about it,” Kara says softly.

“Oh, it’s fine,” Lena assures. “It’s just that I’ve made a lot of decisions she isn’t happy with. I’m not exactly the favorite child.”

Kara blinks at that newfound information but she thankfully manages to react with more than just a dumb nod. “And let me guess. Your conservative mom isn’t entirely too pleased with your recent venture into modeling?”

“I mean… That, along with rebellious teenage years, _several_ misdeeds during boarding school, coming out as a lesbian, sleeping with my brother’s head of security…” Lena snickers as Kara’s eyes widen in surprise, but there’s only laughter in green eyes as she shrugs as if what she is saying is the most casual thing in the world, nevermind the very slight hint of _jealousy_ that crawls its way into Kara’s chest. “She’s definitely going to flip when the Studio releases the lingerie materials, that’s for sure. She’s convinced I keep modeling just to piss her off.”

Lena shrugs and leans back on her seat as she sips her wine, while Kara tries to keep up with what she just said. So she’s out to her conservative mother, who doesn’t seem pleased with her life choices—as if being gay was a choice—and she apparently has slept with her brother’s head of security. She’ll have to find out who that is, sooner or later. For science. Or competition check, or just to satisfy her mere curiosity.

“Um. Is- Is that why you pursued modeling?” Kara asks, just so she doesn’t obsess with imagining how this head of security looks like. Some scary-looking Amazon who could kick down thugs? A big, beefy woman who could carry Lena and pin her against walls? Sure, Kara isn’t _beefy,_ but she could do that. She did that! Against Lena’s fridge! Kara glances at it at the thought before dragging her gaze back to Lena. “To piss her off?”

Lena hums in thought before tilting her head, eyes fixed on Kara’s. “I’ve come to enjoy it, actually. Which is surprising to me, considering I’ve been camera-shy for the longest time. I still am. I’m actually kind of very conscious of my… self.” She pauses and laughs softly as she looks away, and all of a sudden it’s like Kara is looking at another side of Lena—softer, worried, but still beautiful. Kara files away the fleeting moment in her mind and offers Lena a comforting smile. “Weirdly enough, flaunting myself in front of the camera kind of helps with that. If that makes sense.”

She shrugs again like she didn’t just point out a chink in her armor, and the blonde studies her with curiosity. She wonders if this is why Lena flusters at compliments.

“I understand,” Kara says. “If that’s the case though, then I think you’re very brave.”

Lena smiles softly, a light blush on her cheeks at the praise, before looking at Kara again. “You’re really buttering me up with compliments, huh. ”

“I definitely am not,” Kara points out with a grin. “Is it working though?” She teases.

The model tilts her head and smirks that dangerous smirk that makes Kara almost regret teasing her. “Dessert’s store-bought so we can definitely skip it.”

Yeah. Kara walked right into that. She coughs, making Lena laugh, and she reaches out to gently pat Kara’s shoulder with a warm hand that scatters tingles from where she touched to every nerve in Kara’s body.

It turns out that Lena is kidding about skipping dessert. Kara isn’t sure if she’s happy or disappointed about it. At least she gives Kara some time to breathe; after they eat, she sets the plates on the dishwasher and insists Kara stays seated then takes a pint of ice cream from the fridge, the body black and the lid white, bare save for the expensive-looking gold cursive on the top that Kara isn’t able to read. She suggests moving to the living room where she turns on the television to Netflix.

Lena sets the tub of ice cream along with a pair of mugs and spoons on the empty coffee table when she notices Kara’s equipment bag on the couch.

“Is that your camera?” She asks, looking at Kara behind her. She raises her eyebrow, making the photographer look at her leather bag in confusion before nodding.

“I… I did say I was taking that offer for a private shoot, right?” Kara asks, grabbing her bag from the couch and putting it on the floor before sitting. Lena chuckles lowly as she hands Kara a mug and a spoon and takes a seat as well.

“Oh. Here I was thinking that was code for… something else.” Lena scrunches her nose, like she’s mentally chastising herself. She busies herself with taking off the lid of the ice cream and laughs. “But sure, of course. I think I look half-decent anyway.”

Kara manages to read the label. _Arias Ice Cream._ She clears her throat. “Um, I- I mean, if I was honest, I… I did think of… _That_ .” She scratches the crinkle between her eyebrows and tentatively glances at Lena. “I mean. We can still definitely do _that_ instead. I mean after the, uh…” She gestures vaguely to the ice cream. “Dessert.”

Lena scoops about two spoonfuls of the dual-colored ice cream on the pint—strawberry and chocolate, if Kara is right—before pushing it towards the blonde. “I wouldn’t want to waste your effort of bringing a camera,” she says. She leans back on the couch and tucks her legs under her.

Kara shakes her head. She didn’t want to seem too _eager,_ but the camera she brought wasn’t even that heavy. Definitely not an effort from her part to bring it. “It’s totally fine,” she says as she scoops some of the ice cream, making sure to take both flavors in her spoon. Another scoop, then another. Lena smiles at her in amusement. “I’m cool with- with whatever you, um had in mind.”

“Both could be good,” Lena replies in a whisper. She takes a small chunk of the melting ice cream in her mouth and hums at the taste. “Let me know what you think of it.”

Kara takes a second to realize that Lena is asking about the ice cream and not her idea. She laughs awkwardly and looks down at the pink-and-brown ice cream in her mug before giving it a try. A loud moan escapes her lips as the delicate, perfect sweetness of cool strawberry-chocolate melts on her tongue. She looks at Lena with wide eyes.

“Sorry.”

Lena, for her part, still looks amused, that perfect eyebrow raised. There’s a smile on her lips though, borne of disbelief and surprise. “I can’t believe an ice cream made you moan louder than I have.”

Kara sputters, the cool in her mouth contrasted by the warmth blooming in her cheeks. “Shut up,” she whines. “This is so good.”

“Yeah?” Lena grins in satisfaction. “Good. It’s owned by Sam, actually. I’ll let her know of your reaction.” She winks.

Kara blushes but she still demolishes the pint of ice cream when Lena assures her she can have the rest. The model watches her with mild envy but laughs anyway. “She wants to meet your sister, if you’re both still up for it,” Lena says.

At that, Kara nods eagerly. “Sure!”

“Give me your sister’s number before you leave.” Lena finishes her ice cream and gestures at the worn leather bag on the floor. “Can I see your camera?”

Kara nods and reaches for her bag to take out her camera. She clumsily wipes her hands on her pants, then uncaps the lens cover to attach the prime lens she brought. She hands it to Lena.

“Do you shoot?” She asks.

Lena shakes her head. “No, but I do like tinkering with things.” Kara hums as she watches Lena fiddle with the knobs and buttons for the camera for a moment, then lifts the camera to her eye. Kara smiles and lifts her spoon as Lena clicks the shutter. She looks at the display and laughs before handing the camera to Kara. “Leagues away from your talent, clearly.”

The blonde takes the camera and looks at the photo. She’s grinning in it, but the blinds in the living room are drawn so the mid-afternoon light filters through, making Lena’s photo a little overexposed. “Half of it is technical knowledge you can learn,” she explains. She narrows the aperture and takes a quick series of photographs of Lena from where she sits beside her.

The resulting photos show Lena with her bun slightly messy, a faint shadow to her features with her sitting against the light. The sun makes her eyes appear more blue than green, and Kara looks up to meet Lena’s gaze just to make sure.

“What?” Lena asks, before leaning forward to look at the camera display. She makes a small sound in her throat. “Technical knowledge, my ass.”

Kara just laughs. “Come on and smile for the camera,” she says, scooting back to give Lena some space to work with.

“Oh, are we on now?” Lena tilts her head and shifts to sit sideways, facing Kara. She lifts her right arm against the back of the couch and rests her head on her palm. “Do tell what I’m supposed to do, Miss Photographer.”

Kara shrugs and grins. “Just give me your best shot.”

That doesn’t seem to be the smart thing to say. Lena takes a second before quirking her lips, then her hands are moving to the top button of her shirt to undo it. Kara grips her camera tightly in her right hand as she watches Lena undo the next button, leaving the upper half of her shirt open to reveal the top of the sheer lace cupping her breasts.

_Fuck._

The blonde licks her lips but she does lift her camera back up. Lena is smirking at the camera, the smirk that says she knows the effect she has on Kara, but she drops if after a few moments as her model persona takes the forefront: She leans her side against the back of the couch, one leg tucked under her as she stretches the other. Kara presses the shutter, the clicking sound continuous even as Lena pulls her bun free. Her hair cascades in loose curls over her shoulders, dark framing her face and the afternoon light casting a warm glow on her alabaster skin.

Kara swallows thickly. How is it that she _knows_ Lena is breathlessly stunning yet she still finds herself _surprised_ with how beautiful Lena is? Her heartbeat races, pulsing in her ear, and for a moment Kara forgets what she is supposed to be doing as she lowers her camera to watch Lena run her fingers through her hair with her own eyes.

“What do you think about when you take photos?” Lena asks. Her voice is soft but it somehow still startles Kara.

The blonde grips her camera once more. She checks the photos she has so far to make sure she isn’t taking pure light, then looks up at Lena. “I… Don’t actually know,” Kara admits with a soft laugh. She stands, camera in hand, and Lena follows her with her gaze. The way she does it is maddening and takes Kara’s breath away. Kara just continues to take photos as Lena poses—tilts her head, smiles, tugs on her shirt lower to reveal more of that sinful skin underneath. “Just framing my subject nicely, I suppose.” _Click, click, click._ “And trying not to faint when they look like _that_.”

Kara grins when Lena laughs, heartfelt, the sound music in the otherwise empty apartment. She captures every moment with her camera.

“What do _you_ think about when you… model?” Kara shoots back.

Lena hums as she leans back on the couch. She lifts her legs up and rests her bare feet on the soft material of the white velvet upholstery fabric, arms around her knees. “I don’t actually know either,” she admits. Kara captures the moment where she bites her lip in thought. When Lena smirks, Kara pauses for a brief moment. “Sometimes I think about my lab work. You know. Hypothetically, if I reduce mitophagy and increase mitochondrial efficiency, would I finally have a crack at finding the cure for cancer?”

Kara blinks. Half of that sentence didn’t make sense to her but it was oddly… attractive. “Do you really think about that?”

“Sometimes,” Lena repeats. She tugs on her collar, exposing another inch of her collarbone. “Sometimes I thirst over my photographer.”

Kara snorts at that. “Yeah, and how often does that happen?”

“Just twice.”

Twice? Who’s the first, then? Jealousy is a sting in Kara’s chest but before it could really seep in, Lena smiles, her eyes shimmering with mirth. “I’m dating her now.”

The jealousy she feels vanishes when she realizes what Lena means. Kara beams. “Dating, huh.” She feels a blush bloom on her cheeks and tries to hide it by lifting her camera once more to take photos of Lena.

“Mhm.” Lena grins. “I think I quite like her.”

“Just _quite?”_

Lena laughs. “I don’t know. I suppose she’s cute.” She leans forward as Kara chuckles fondly. Strands of her dark hair fall over Lena’s eyes. “Even if she’s a little dense sometimes.”

Kara rolls her eyes playfully. “I would be forgiven for playing it safe,” she says softly. She bites her lip and lowers her camera, her index finger fidgeting with the shutter button. “Instead of assuming a goddess like _you_ has eyes for me.”

Lena’s amused expression turns confused, like she didn’t expect what Kara said. She looks at the blonde like she’s trying to read her mind. Kara squirms. After a few tense seconds, Lena slowly smiles and reaches out for Kara.

“Come here.”

The blonde licks her lips and obeys. Lena puts her hand on Kara’s on the camera and carefully extracts the item from her hand. She puts it beside her on the couch; Lena parts her thighs, giving Kara some space to stand between them in front of the dark-haired woman. She takes Kara’s hands in hers.

“Not just eyes, Kara.”

She says it so simply, so softly, that the usual playfulness in them—the double meaning that Lena’s words carry most times—is lost on Kara. Not when Lena says them so tenderly, then lifts the Kara’s hands to her lips to plant soft kisses on her open palms. Something in Kara cracks and the air in her lungs disappears, but she manages a swallow as she cups Lena’s face.

“Is that a second date topic?” She says with a soft laugh.

Lena just grins. Kara giggles, then leans in to kiss her. It’s tentative, perhaps too careful, and it lasts another heartbeat before Lena is tugging her to her lap with hands on her hips. Kara lands with a soft gasp and they laugh against each other’s mouths.

“Eager,” Kara teases.

Lena nips her lower lip in response. Kara moans softly but she returns the kiss, flame sparking hotter as she cards her fingers through Lena’s hair and tugs lightly—something she learned Lena liked. Lena slips her fingers under Kara’s dress shirt, brushing against her soft skin.

When the need for air arose, Kara breaks the kiss with a soft gasp. Lena presses their foreheads together, a fond smile on lips, her eyes closed. It makes Kara sigh.

“You’re so beautiful,” Kara breathes out in awe, like she’s just seeing Lena for the first time. Lena opens her eyes, her pupils partly blown now. She doesn’t reply, only kisses Kara again as she shifts them on the couch; Kara reacts with a surprised moan when Lena manges to pin her down on the couch. Her camera is hard against her arm. She takes it and means to put it down, but Lena sits up and begins to unbutton her the rest of her shirt.

Kara stares as Lena’s white top parts to reveal the rest of that lace bra. There’s a faint bruise that Kara remembers she left, partly hidden by the band. She swallows, hand on her camera tightening.

“Can- Can I—”

“Really?” Lena asks, almost shyly, eyeing the camera with a wary glance.

“I’m not posting it or anything,” Kara assures.

Lena opens her mouth, then bites her lip. A second of silence passes. “If I want you to?”

Kara doesn’t expect that. She smiles. “Are your fans going to threaten me?” She asks as she flicks her attention to her camera to check her settings.

Lena laughs, low and sultry. It sends a thrill up Kara’s spine. “Why, are you scared?”

“Me?” Kara snorts. “Please.”

Instead of responding, she starts to take photos of Lena. This time the light is right in front of her, warm, her hair wavy and perfect and her eyes smoldering, teasing as always. She looks far too sinful than someone still technically fully clothed is supposed to be. After a few more clicks and several more photos, Lena plucks the camera away from Kara’s hands before leaning down to kiss the blonde again.

“You’re done taking photos of me now,” she whispers. She moves so she was straddling Kara instead, her hands lifting the blonde’s shirt a bit to reveal the toned plane of her stomach. “Now take _me.”_

Kara obeys. She touches and kisses, studies how the light strikes her curves and how perfect every inch of her skin is, watches the sun set on National City in the way the shadows dance on Lena’s skin as she grinds her core on Kara’s parched tongue over and over.

Lena moans Kara’s name as she comes, _again,_ and she tries to move off of Kara’s face only to have the blonde make a sound of protest.

“Again?” Lena laughs breathlessly, though it breaks into a moan when Kara answers with a hum that makes Lena’s thighs quiver. Lena licks her dry lips and combs her fingers through honey hair. “It’s my turn, Kara,” she says, voice husky from her screams and yet so _commanding_ that Kara’s throat dries despite Lena’s wetness all over her tongue and chin.

So Lena takes.

*****

Kara leaves well after the sun has set, already late for dinner with Alex and her friends. She conveniently forgets her jacket in Lena’s place—the second one now—but she doesn’t mind. Not when Lena sends her a photo of her in the full-length mirror in her bedroom, wearing nothing but Kara’s denim jacket and the marks she left on her neck, chest and thighs. The hickey Lena left on her inner thigh and the scratches on her back still throb when Kara remembers them.

Alex curses under her breath the whole night, regretting peeking at Kara’s phone just to see why her sister choked on her beer.

“If it makes you feel better, she’s setting you up with Sam?” Kara offers with a little wince.

“I’m already scarred, Kara,” Alex grumbles, though she does eye her sister. “When?”

When she finally arrives home, Kara transfers the photos of their… shoot from her camera to her laptop. She stares at one of the photos Lena asked, practically dared, her to post—her white dress shirt was open, revealing that tempting cleavage and the beginnings of an expensive but flimsy lace bra that didn’t survive Kara’s impatient tug. Lena looks fierce, seductive, like she’s looking directly at Kara instead of the camera. Like she wants to _jump_ Kara. Well. Considering the context of it, maybe she did. The fire starts in her belly again. She uploads the photo on Gramblr and takes a few minutes before managing to post Lena’s photo on Instagram with a fitting caption.

_Never felt this brave, actually._


	4. it's not just physical

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara finally realizes what Lena meant when she said she had “passionate fans” and begins to understand the implications of dating a supermodel in the making. Plus domesticity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from “Closer” by Tegan & Sara. Thanks to Milly for beta-reading this crap! And apologies for the mistakes I missed.

Kara’s Instagram account descends into chaos that night.

She shuts down her laptop after uploading Lena’s photo and leaves her phone on her work desk to change for bed. Her usual nightly routine lasts half an hour at most. She returns to her home office in a gray tank top and BB-8 boxers to get her phone.

Her eyebrows practically raise to her hairline when she finds multiple notifications from Instagram. Far too many than the usual ones she gets when she uploads a new photo. There’s also a message from Alex and Winn, but she opens up her Instagram first to find several hundred likes on Lena’s photo, a bunch of comments, and a lot of new followers. She also has some message requests that, upon checking, were mostly threats from Lena’s more… passionate fans.

All in the half hour she was gone.

 

 **allidoiswinn** @callmebrainy i’m in tears also i need bleach @karadanvers

 **historyisagony** she looks so dtf and you’re taking a PHOTO OF HER???? how are u even allowed to post this wtf

 **samarias** THAT’S MY GIRL!!!!  ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜💗💖

 **lenalutlnor** excuse me thATS MY WIFE

 **superiorlane** that’s gay

 **lenasluthors** oh myyy gooood who tf are you but also bless you for this photo um??? sweetie my ovaries @lenaswhore

 **lenaswhore** @lenasluthors THIS IS THE WOMAN LENA POSTED A COUPLE DAYS AGO BITCH holy fuck holy fuck !!!!!

 **niathedreamer** wow 🔥🔥🔥 @karadanvers guess I don’t have to invite you to the launch if she’s bringing you as a plus one 😝

 

Okay. Interesting. Even more interesting are Alex’s text, threatening to block her if Kara starts posting X-rated photos, and Winn’s,  calling her “thirsty” and telling her she owes him a hundred bucks.

Weird.

Kara returns to her Instagram, now with more likes and comments than literally five minutes ago.

She didn’t even tag Lena. How did people even find her account? It was both fascinating and… well, terrifying. Kara bites her lip and stares at Lena’s photo on her phone. There is the fire in her belly again. Without much thinking, she dials Lena’s number as she heads to her room. It rings three times before Lena’s soft, sleepy voice greets her.

“Hey, you.”

Kara practically melts. A smile overtakes her face and warmth envelopes her in a way a phone call has never made her felt before. She stops by her bedroom door and leans her left shoulder against the frame. “Hi,” she breathes out. “Did I wake you?”

“No. I was reading.” There is some shuffling sound from the other end before Lena sighs. “How did dinner go?”

“Went well,” Kara replies. “I got home about an hour ago. Have you had dinner yet?”

Lena hums. “Kale salad and some threats from your fans.” She chuckles, the sound making Kara shiver before realizing what she just said.

 _“My_ fans?” Kara chuckles and pads to her bed. She lies down with a soft groan as her head hits the pillow. “I have like two of those.”

“I think you’re being humble,” Lena says, the smile audible in her voice.

Kara giggles. “I think _you’re_ being humble,” she shoots back. “When you mentioned a few of your fans being passionate, I didn’t really imagine more likes in an hour than my entire Instagram posts combined. _And,_ I had a lot of new followers. From _one_ photo.”

Lena laughs. “No one who’s crossed the line yet, I hope.”  

At that, Kara snorts. “I mean. Nothing I can’t handle. Some are kind of amusing.” She giggles at the thought of one of the comments she had read. “Did you know there are people who want you to choke them?”

Lena laughs again, soft and warm and it makes Kara’s heart race. “I’m not really into choking.”

Kara’s eyebrow twitches.

“Being choked though…” Lena trails off.

Kara doesn’t know what to say to that, but there is a little whimper that she hears.

“You okay, Kara?” Lena asks. It’s only then that Kara realize that _she_ made that pathetic little noise. “Sorry, was that—”

“I- I’m fine,” Kara mumbles. She slams her eyes shut, which was a terrible thing to do because all she could see was—

Wow. _Okay._ Who turned up the heater in her room?

 _“Anyway,”_ Kara digresses, though she doesn’t know what else to talk about. Lena giggles on the phone, the sound low and sultry, and it shouldn’t set her on fire like this but it does. It’s unfair, how easily Lena could make her feel like this.

It’s unfair, too, how Kara misses her already despite the fact that they spent half a day together. She tugs lightly on her sheets and sighs.

“Anyway,” Lena echoes, her voice less playful and softer now. “Can I interest you with brunch on Monday?”

Kara beams and melts on the bed; when she closes her eyes, she can almost picture the way Lena looks at her when she asks. Funny how it feels like she is dreaming when she was still fully awake. “I’d love that. Let me know where?”

She hears Lena’s smile when she replies. “I’ll make reservations and text you tomorrow.”

“Alright,” Kara says, smile still plastered on her face. “Anyway. I’ll let you get back to reading. Good night, Lena.”

There is a soft, dreamy sigh before Lena whispers back. “Good night, Kara.”

Kara bites her lip and waits for Lena to end the call. After several seconds, she hears soft laughter from the other line.

“End the call, silly,” Lena says, sounding like she’s shy. It only serves to bring Kara to cloud nine. Was there anything higher than that?

“Hey, I called first,” Kara shoots back. _“You_ end the call.”

Lena giggles. “That’s not how it works, Kara.”

“Guess I’ll have my phone bill inflate with this specific call.”

“I can definitely pay for it.”

It’s Kara’s turn to laugh. “Fine, I’ll end it.” She bites back a smile. “Good night again.”

“Good night, darling.”

All of the air in Kara’s lungs disappear, but she ends the call anyway. If she stares at her phone until minutes later a text comes in from Lena, she doesn’t notice.

 _I had a great time, by the way._  
_Thank you. And good night._ _  
__Sweetest of dreams, Kara._

Kara dreams of green and lace and lazy afternoons.

******

When Kara wakes up, Instagram is way worse. Twitter, too; Winn sends her a link to an article about Lena Luthor and her current “fling.” There are screenshots of her face and her name and yet, still, they are asking who she is supposed to be.

It’s probably because she isn’t famous and Lena is, with the article enumerating the campaigns Lena had headlined in the past few months of her budding career. It’s not like Kara minds; she is above these kinds of clickbait articles. She _does_ skim through comments while eating microwaved ramen and picks out the general supportive vibe from the internet public, save of course for the few homophobes and fans of Lena.

They certainly don’t like Kara, that’s for sure.

Alex sends her a screenshot of a tweet and a text a little later, before Kara leaves her place to go to the gym.

 **TMZ** @TMZ 42m  
Who’s @lenaluthor’s latest flame?

 **Lena Luthor** @lenaluthor 26m  
Replying to @TMZ  
None of your fucking business.

_Feisty._

_I think it’s hot._

_How even??_

_I’m blocking you_

_Why are you even skimming_ _  
_ _tabloid sites? You never do that_

_Blocked_

Kara only laughs. She ignores social media for the rest of the day; she heads to the gym, jogs and works on her arms and back before heading back home to finish some pitch decks she had to send out the coming week. She busies herself enough, but manages to text Lena when she tells her where they would get brunch come Monday. Thankfully, Kara’s meeting the next day were in the afternoon. Lena says she has a meeting, too. She doesn’t bring up the buzz in social media about them so Kara doesn’t. She figures Lena had just gotten used to all the attention. Kara still thinks the thirsty comments are amusing.

By Monday, there aren’t as many more comments and speculations as before, but they keep coming anyway. The tabloid sites thankfully already had their sights on some other couple. Kara reminds Winn to come meet her by one in the afternoon, _sharp,_ before getting ready for the day.

After a good hour and a half later, Kara leaves her apartment in a black, short-sleeved silk dress shirt with red floral patterns, tucked neatly in black trousers. She wears black loafers with her outfit, her hair in loose curls over her shoulders. A black leather messenger bag is slung over her shoulder. Since she didn’t have a shoot today, she wears her glasses instead of her contacts. All in all formal enough for her to mean business for her meeting, but casual enough so Lena doesn’t look like she’s meeting a consultant or something.

She takes  a cab to the restaurant, a small, cozy British restaurant  a few blocks away from the business district. Relatively quiet that the rest of the city, though traffic is already building. She weaves through the walking crowd and decides to wait for Lena in front of the restaurant. A man in a nice fitted suit walks out a few seconds later and introduces himself as Todd, the manager, and asks if she was Kara Danvers.

“Ms. Luthor personally requested me to guide you to your table,” he says in a thick English accent, and Kara reluctantly follows. She checks her  phone and sees that it was still ten minutes before 10am, when they decided to meet. No text or calls from Lena.

“Is she going to be late?” Kara asks Todd.

The manager shakes his head as he stops in the middle of the restaurant. “Oh dear, no. Ms. Luthor is never late nor early, but she did mention you’re an early bird.” He smiles, one shows crow’s feet, and pulls back the chair in the table for two in front of him. “She doesn’t want you waiting outside again.”

Kara smiles fondly and nods as she sits. “Thank you.”

“Water, Ms. Danvers? Or perhaps coffee or tea?” Todd offers.

“Water for now,” Kara says. Todd nods and leaves, giving the blonde time to look around the restaurant. The _unoccupied_ restaurant. Now that she has taken notice, she realizes it looks quite expensive, and Kara chastises herself. Maybe she should have checked this place online first; then again, not like she would suggest some place else. Lena chose this restaurant, after all.

Kara hears the opening of the door and the soft clicking of heels on the hardwood floor. She turns to the direction of the sound and the sight that greets her knocks out the air from her lungs.

It’s Lena, looking as gorgeous as ever. Her hair is loose over her left shoulder. She is wearing what looks like a nice tailored suit, but as she walks closer Kara realizes that instead of a shirt, she is wearing a black corset top, delicate scalloped lace tight against the curve of her breasts, the dark material like second skin against her belly that reveals pale skin with the floral patterns that almost matched Kara’s. Her black stilettos fall quiet as she stops a few steps away from their table.

Lena’s bright red lips gape slightly  as she stares at Kara. “You’re… wearing glasses.”

Kara blinks owlishly, shakes her head to pull herself together, before nodding and carefully adjusting the frames perched on her nose. “Y-yeah,” she chuckles. “I wear contacts during shoots so it’s more comfortable.”

“Huh.” Lena stares for a little longer and Kara squirms slightly at the attention. She notices Lena’s grip on her purse, and Kara’s gaze travels up the cuff of her blazer to the familiar lapels. Hems sewn with lace.

“Is that mine?” Kara blurts out.

Lena doesn’t move for a second or two before looking down at herself. “Oh. Yes.”

Kara searches for words despite the slight static that is in her head. “Wow. Um.” Smooth. Wasn’t she over this? “Whoever you’re meeting won’t be ready for that.”

“Oh, I’m not wearing this for later,” Lena easily says. She finally smiles, though she eyes Kara from toe to head. “Just for you.”

Oh. _Oh._ Oh god. Hot. There are really other words in her head; Kara is certain she had a bigger vocabulary than this but she can’t seem to find them at the moment.

Lena quirks an eyebrow and smiles. Kara blinks several times, then hurries and quickly pulls the chair out for raven-haired woman. Lena smiles. “Thank you. You didn’t have to.”

“You didn’t have to, Ms. Danvers,” Todd agrees. “You are both here for brunch, after all.”

Kara turns to him. He is holding a pitcher of water with both hands and smiles warmly at the blonde.

“Have you… Just been standing there?” Kara asks dumbly as she takes her seat. Todd only smiles warmly. He kind of reminds Kara of the kind  shopkeeper near her apartment.

“No worries, Ms. Danvers,” he says as he steps forward to pour water into Kara’s glass. He turns to Lena. “Good morning, Ms. Luthor. I trust your trip here was pleasant?”

“It was, Todd. Thank you, and good morning,” Lena says with a smile.

“Excellent.” Todd nods dutifully and pours Lena some water too, before handing Kara a menu. The blonde looks curiously at it then at Lena, who only smiles at Kara.

“They have the best English breakfast and baked goods in this city,” Lena says. “I can vouch for that.” She turns to Todd and Kara grins as she looks down at the menu. She doesn’t question the fact that it doesn’t have prices of the food. Surely brunch food won’t cost _that_ much, right?

“I’ll have my usual, Todd,” Lena tells the man. “And an orange mimosa, please.”

“Oh, they have donuts!” Kara exclaims.

Lena quirks an eyebrow at her. “Donuts are not brunch.”

Kara pouts. “Says the one having a cocktail in the morning.”

“It’s a _breakfast_ mimosa,” Lena counters. That raised eyebrow makes Kara feel things that are not appropriate for a nice brunch out.

“Donuts are technically bread,” she defends.

“I have seen you breathe down food good for the both of us,” Lena says with a smirk. “Don’t tell me _bread_ all you’re having.”

“Of course not.” Kara laughs, then looks at Todd. “Okay, ready? I’ll have your traditional full breakfast, with Irish bacon and hashbrown, and can I have two eggs? One well-done sunny side-up and one with your sour cream scrambled egg, please.”

Todd nods as Kara spoke. When she pauses, he smiles. “Will that be all?”

Kara beams. “And an orange juice plus a strawberry donut for  later just to spite Ms. Luthor here.”

Todd chuckles and nods before bowing out with a promise of food in twenty minutes. When Kara looks at Lena, the woman is smiling and shaking her head.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Lena muses. “Where do you put all that food?”

Kara shrugs. “I hit the gym pretty often.”

Lena raises an eyebrow but she doesn't say anything. Instead, she looks intently at Kara like she is mentally undressing her and the blonde blushes slightly at the attention.

“So,” Kara says with a clearing of her throat. “You go here often?”

Lena hums. “A couple of times. Like I said, they have great food.”

“You did say. And now I have horrifyingly high expectations,” Kara laughs.  

“I’ll try not to disappoint,” Lena smirks, and just when Kara thinks the color in her cheeks has finally subsided, she feels warmth on her face again. Lena’s features soften. “How have you been?”

Kara fidgets with her glasses as she stammers and pulls herself together. “Good,” she manages. “I posted a photo of this really gorgeous woman on my Instagram and I’ve been receiving a lot of messages about her.”

Lena chuckles softly. Todd arrives moments later for her mimosa and Kara’s juice. “Anyone bothering you yet?” Lena asks when he leaves.

Kara takes a sip of her orange juice. She looks confused for a moment before understanding Lena’s question. She shakes her head. “Not really. Mostly just odd comments here and there.”

Lena sighs and nods. “Just let me know if they bother you, alright?”

“Sure,” Kara agrees. “Most of them are just asking who I am and if I’m dating you.”

At that, Lena chuckles. “And what did you say?”

“I didn’t reply?” Kara says, unsure. “I mean. I don’t…” She blinks and looks at Lena, not certain now what to say. “I’m not sure exactly what to tell them. I figured I should let them speculate and stuff instead of adding fuel to fire.”

“You can say the truth,” Lena smiles. “We _are_ dating. Or just ignore them. I find that they move on quite quickly to other people.”

Kara chuckles at that. “You’ve been in a couple of headlines, huh?”

“You’d be surprised how people care so much about those kinds of things instead of the things that matter.”

“That bad?”

Lena shrugs. “I once had dinner with Bruce Wayne and the papers called me a mistress and asked if I’m worming my way to Wayne manor to steal money for the Luthors.”

Kara blinks in disbelief and manages an awkward chuckle. She has heard of Bruce Wayne—who hasn’t heard of him?—and the fact that Lena has had dinner with him just means she really is playing with the big leagues. An odd feeling that isn’t quite like jealousy washes on her before quickly vanishing, like a passing car with its bright headlights on. She knows Lena is technically a celebrity. “Bruce Wayne, huh?”

“He might be aloof but he has a one brilliant mind on his head,” Lena laughs.

Kara chuckles at that, too, but the feeling from earlier returns twofold. She tries to ignore it. Instead, they catch up on the day and a half they didn’t see each other, and Kara feels giddy about it once more. Lena smiles at her like she was, too, and Kara lets heartbeat dance as she listens to Lena talk.

Todd arrives as promised with their meal. They set down their plates. Kara gets distracted by the delicious smell and the hefty servings of her order placed in front of her, and the smaller plate of what looks like a singular toast, scrambled eggs, and ham placed in front of Lena. She tries not to bring up how little Lena ordered, remembering their first date and how she mentioned watching her figure—Kara still thinks she’s _perfect_ but she understands—so instead, she reaches for her fork to stab the thick slice of bacon on her plate.  

“Now  let’s see if you’re right, Ms. Luthor,” Kara teases.

Lena shakes her head. “Have I been wrong so far?” She says with a knowing smirk. A distant memory of closing elevator doors and an explicit quip flickers in Kara’s mind. Thankfully, she hasn’t shoved a whole bite of bacon into her mouth. Otherwise, she would’ve coughed and sputtered it everywhere. Or worse, choked on it. She only glares at Lena, who laughs fondly before beginning to eat, too.

“That’s not threatening, _Ms. Danvers,_ ” Lena counters. “Sexy is more like it.”

“Maybe I should threaten you with something else,” Kara huffs. She stares at her plate, takes a bite of her food and feels Lena’s eyes on her. “Like how I won’t touch you until you take that back or something.”

Lena doesn’t have a quick, witty response to that, and when Kara looks up, she finds the woman biting her lip. Like she was actually considering it. Kara blushes, warmth in her neck rising as she shoves another bite of food. Admittedly, it was _delicious._ Exquisite. Life-changing.

But so was the way Lena is looking at her like Kara issued her a challenge. There is fire in her eyes that the blonde finds… intriguing.

Not a good thought when there is good food to be had.

Lena finally moves, all trace of heat vanishing from her features like a mask set on her face. She takes her knife and fork to slice a piece of the ham in one smooth motion.

“That could be arranged,” she says softly.

Kara wants the floor to open up whole. She manages another bite of her food and doesn’t say anything else, but she eyes Lena carefully. She’s… truly something. She knows of the brilliance and kindness underneath this teasing, playful persona of hers, and Kara wonders how many people get to see it.

She mentally chastises herself. Green is a good color on Lena, but definitely not on her.

Brunch is spent talking about their upcoming projects. Lena tells her of a photo shoot for a luxury watch the coming week, and Kara talks about her meeting in the afternoon about a possibly big campaign. Lena wishes her good luck with a smile and a squeeze of Kara’s hand that makes the blonde feel jittery from the butterflies.

It’s definitely more than just a crush, that much Kara knows, but she wonders when the constant fluttering in her chest would stop. She isn’t sure her heart could take it for much longer. It doesn’t help that Lena looks so beautiful it actually hurts. She thought she would get used to her.

Maybe in time, though Kara doubts it.

Their conversations are random yet Kara feels like she could talk to Lena forever—even if that meant stuttering through her words sometimes because Lena keeps smirking and smiling at her in a way that makes Kara’s heartbeat spike each time. She retaliates sometimes, finds her own wit and shoots back a tease or two that makes Lena blush. She wonders if Lena has a _thing_ for her in glasses, because Kara is sure she isn’t imagining the way Lena follows the movement of her hand when she adjusts her frames.

Somehow, they talk of childhood pets. Lena tells her of that tarantula again and promises her that it _didn’t_ bite, and that no, she wouldn’t be Spiderwoman even if it did. Kara tells her stories of Streaky the cat until their plates are clean and Todd brings out Kara’s donut and Lena’s fruit salad. Lena mentions an animal shelter she visits and volunteers at regularly while they finish their dessert, and Kara finds herself staring at the fond way Lena talks about it.

When Lena notices, she pauses in the middle of a story about how messy it was to bathe puppies. “What?” She asks with a shy smile and hides away with a sip of her mimosa.

The blonde shakes her head. “Nothing.”

Lena frowns as she sets down her glass. “Do I have something on my face?”

“Nothing, promise,” Kara assures with a laugh. Lena stares at her. Kara smiles at her in response but Lena pins her with a look that could make her do _anything._ She shrugs. “You’re just...” A sigh. Kara looks down at her tasty donut then meets Lena’s gaze shyly. How does she say it without sounding pathetically cheesy? Lena is _gorgeous_ , but more than that, Kara keeps on discovering her beautiful vulnerability—these bits and pieces of her that unravel a little bit of her mystery. Each time a part of her is revealed—her fear of flight, her conservative mother, her love of flowers, her kindness, her loneliness—Kara sees Lena in a new light and has her walking further towards a cliff that she doesn’t mind throwing herself over of.

Or maybe she is already falling.

“You’re just really beautiful,” Kara settles with, and she is rewarded with Lena’s bashful smile.

“Smooth talker,” Lena murmurs.

Kara beams. “Just being honest.”

Lena stares at her and sighs, as if in defeat or mere acceptance of the compliment, then she smiles at Kara so fondly that it physically takes Kara’s breath away.

“You keep saying things like that,” Lena says.

“And I mean it every time,” Kara quickly replies. She watches confusion mask her features before disappearing, replaced by one of thought or a dream. Like she is figuring out Kara. Like Kara is all she sees.

When brunch is done—and Kara has to go or she would be late for her meeting—Lena insists she is paying, to the point that Todd himself declined Kara’s card with a polite smile and a nod to Lena. Kara apologizes twice for leaving, almost thrice, except before she could speak Lena is pulling her by her collar and kissing her breathless.

“Go,” she says, and Kara dumbly nods and says _I’ll miss you_ before she could really think about it.

She is in the cab to Fabray and Co. when Lena texts her with _I’ll miss you too._ It’s only when she meets Winn that she notices Lena’s shade on her lips, when he pointed it out. She brings her joy with her when she meets Quinn and her team.

*****

Come the following week, Nia calls first thing on Monday to tell Kara that collateral materials have been proofed and already in production. It sets excitement to Kara’s week; it’s her biggest campaign after all, and she can’t wait to see the prints and the site.

Until she realizes said site and prints will be of Lena in the most daring—exquisite, lovely, _seductive—_ of lingerie.

Jealousy claws at the back of her throat and Kara swallows. Nia officially extends her invitation for Cat’s launch, even as she jokes about Lena already inviting her.

The photo shoot Lena told her about during their brunch is that Wednesday. Lena sends her a photo of herself during hair and make-up, then tells Kara that she would be occupied for the rest of the day. Kara takes the time to update her portfolio and clean her home office but once that was done, she was left to watch a few One Day at a Time episodes on Netflix.

Kara is eating orange chicken and rice in front of the TV when her phone dings with a notification from Instagram: some user tagged her in what is best described as a blurry photo. Upon closer  inspection—and a quick read of the caption—she realizes it’s a paparazzi shot of Lena and some other model, Helena Bertinelli. There are three photos; Kara swipes left to see one of them walking arm-in-arm out of a restaurant, one of them laughing—Lena has her head thrown back and Kara could almost hear her laugh—and one of them where Lena flips off the photographer.

Curious, Kara tries to search for Lena on Twitter. She instantly regrets it; there are already three tabloid sites asking if Lena’s fling with _the blonde photographer_ is over, and if said _blonde_ was replaced by long-time model Helena.

There is the jealousy in the back of her throat again. It’s an ugly feeling that Kara _doesn’t_ like, but she can’t help herself. She knows these kinds of speculations were going to be a part of dating Lena. She remembers her talking about Bruce Wayne and looks at the photo of Lena and Helena laughing again.

 _Ugh._ Green is definitely not a good look on her, but try as she might, she can’t shake away the feeling of insecurity at seeing this _gorgeous woman_ arm-in-arm with Lena. However, she does notice the familiar denim jacket the woman is sporting, and Kara has to admit that it looks better on Lena.

Kara tries to curb the lingering streak of jealousy with ice cream and stress-cleaning her equipment. She is preparing her second camera for dusting when her phone rings. Carefully, Kara  puts back the body cap and reaches for her phone, almost dropping it when she reads Lena’s name.

Welcome and uninvited, a warm smile graces Kara’s lips as she answers the call.

“Hi.”

“I missed you,” is what Lena greets her with, and Kara sighs dreamily and melts on the couch she is leaning against.

“I missed you too,” Kara whispers. She could almost hear Lena smile through the phone.

“I didn’t interrupt anything, did I?”

“No,” Kara says, closing her eyes. It’s quiet on the line. Was Lena in a dressing room, perhaps? “I was, um. Cleaning my cameras.”

Lena hums in response. She stays quiet for a moment or two before speaking again. “You’ve seen the tweets, I assume.”

Kara bites her lip. “Which ones?” She says anyway.

“About me and Helena.”

“Yeah. She’s gorgeous.”

“I know,” Lena chuckles. “It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other. We were good friends back in Metropolis.”

 _Good friends._ Kara bites back a smile. For some reason, she thinks Lena mentioned that for her benefit, and it washes away the remaining jealousy she feels. She laughs softly. “You don’t have to tell me that, Lena. You’re allowed to have other female friends.”

“I know,” Lena sighs. “Just… I know I said to ignore the tabloids but they still make me worry sometimes, about what they might say.”

And there it is—another part of Lena, unraveled. Kara wants to ask—reporter’s instinct, perhaps—but instead, she takes the words as they are and returns them with warmth.

“Yeah, well, I trust you,” Kara says.

There’s silence in the other line. Kara checks her phone to make sure Lena didn’t end the call. “Lena?”

A sigh. “I want to kiss you right now,” Lena whispers, so soft that Kara almost missed it. She worries her lip between her teeth and looks up.

“After your shoot,” Kara starts, anxious all of a sudden, “do you… want to come over to my place?”

Lena answers yes with no hesitation. Kara beams and sends her the address, before Lena excuses herself to return to the studio. They were almost done, she said, and so Kara takes the remaining time to properly tidy her apartment and change out of her Mickey Mouse pajamas into a nice button-up and some comfortable jeans.

There is a knock almost two hours later. Kara excitedly opens the door and if she had super-strength she would have ripped it off its hinges when she sees what Lena is wearing. She is still wearing Kara’s denim jacket, but under it is a plain black dress that is practically see-through and ends mid-thigh.

“Hi.” Lena smirks as Kara only stares. “Can I come in?”

“Sorry!” Kara blushes as she steps aside. “Please come- um, come in.”

Lena chuckles as she walks inside. The blonde shuts the door quietly and she takes a deep breath before offering to give Lena a tour of mess that is her apartment: plain white walls and drawer tops littered with framed photographs of land and cityscapes she has seen, portraits and group photos of her friends and family, and some artworks that Brainy had done. Her furniture is minimal and homey, or at least she likes to think so, and definitely smaller than Lena’s own. Lena only needed three steps and she could see everything from where she stood near the dinner table. Lena sets her purse down on the table and follows Kara to her small home office—thankfully tidy, bless her foresight this morning.

Kara bites her lip when she looks at Lena as they end the mini-tour, nervous what Lena might think.

“Your home is beautiful,” Lena says as she looks around. “Thanks for having me.”

Kara smiles. “I’m glad you’re here, despite the late invitation Um. Would you like anything to drink?” She gestures to the fridge. “I’m not sure how long you’d want to stay, but if I can persuade you to have dinner, we can order something. What do you want?”

Lena glances around for a moment, then turns full to Kara with a serious expression on her face.

“You.”

Kara blinks at that and her mouth falls open for a moment. Lena steps forward. “I’ve been wanting to kiss you,” she whispers, almost shyly, and she moves closer until her nose brushes against Kara’s.

The blonde takes the invitation. She closes the distance between them and as soon as she does, Lena melts; hands cup Kara’s cheeks as Kara holds Lena by her waist, feeling warmth under the sheer fabric of her dress. The kiss tastes like oranges and the yearning Kara feels in her chest from not seeing Lena in days. It turns heated quickly, like Lena is hungry, then there are hands on Kara’s on Lena’s waist.

Kara lets Lena guide her right hand to her chest. She feels Lena’s pounding heart against her palm.

“Touch me like I’m yours,” Lena whispers against her lips.

“Are you?” Kara boldly asks.

Lena pulls back slightly to lick her lips. She smiles. “If you ask me to be.”

Kara should have  expected that, really; she wonders if the pounding heartbeat she can hear now is Lena’s or her own. She swallows thickly and takes a shaky breath. “Will you be my gi—”

Lena kisses her yes before she could finish her question.

They end up to breaking the flower vase in Kara’s kitchen table before finally, _finally_ making their way to Kara’s bed. A part of Kara is aware that her bedroom is probably only the size of Lena’s wardrobe, but Lena couldn’t care less, not when she weaves through the buttons of Kara’s shirt with ease and takes her fill _first,_ for once.

Kara hopes none of her neighbors file a noise complaint. She also hopes Lena doesn’t mind, yet again, the many marks she left with kisses and praises and selfish utterances of _mine, mine, mine_.

Later, when they are both breathless and Lena’s head rests on Kara’s chest, the blonde cards her fingers through dark hair thoughtlessly as the sounds of the evening grow quieter while the city falls asleep. They haven’t talked about Lena staying the night or otherwise—they were a bit _busy_ —but Kara silently wished she would. She seemed to have fallen asleep, after all.

After a few minutes of silence, Lena stirs. The plea for her to stay the night is on her tongue, but Kara remembers her earlier words. She clears her throat softly.

“Lena?” She murmurs. Lena raises her head so she could meet Kara’s gaze. The blonde licks her lips and tastes her. “You know you’re still your own person even when I kind of… selfishly said you’re mine, right?”

Lena’s lips quirk up into a warm, content smile. “I know that,” she points out, and Kara feels foolish for a moment. Lena kisses her though, as if she knows what Kara is thinking. “You’re cute. But I appreciate you for saying that.”

Lena shifts in her arms, and Kara prepares herself for her pulling away but she doesn’t. Instead, she settles until she is more comfortable. “I hope you don’t mind me staying the night, darling,” Lena says sleepily, head resting in the crook of Kara’s neck.

“I was hoping you would,” Kara admits. She feels Lena smile against her skin, then a warm kiss that sets her alight.

When Kara falls asleep, she dreams of green and white.  

***

Kara wakes up to Lena gone from bed. She panics for a moment until her eyes find the bundle of black fabric on her bedroom floor and the matching lace bra near it. She rolls out of bed and looks for her shirt from the night before but doesn’t find it, so instead, she gets a new shirt from her closet before stumbling out of her bedroom.

She finds Lena cooking in the kitchen. Her dark hair is in a messy bun, dressed in Kara’s shirt the night before and her black panties. She’s humming a song Kara isn’t familiar with. Kara is hit with the overwhelming feeling of wanting to see more of Lena like _this_ that she is left gobsmacked, staring at Lena from where she stands in the middle of her apartment.

“Hey,” Lena smiles when she notices her. “I made breakfast. Or at least, what I can with what I can salvage from your pantry. You should do groceries.”

Lena clicks the stove off and sets two plates of pancakes and fried eggs on the kitchen table. There is also pot of coffee on the counter and orange juice on the table. Kara didn’t know she had orange juice.

“I’m…” She blinks and pads quietly to the dinner table. “I’m the kind who gets food delivered all the time.”

“I figured,” Lena laughs. She pulls out a chair for Kara and motions for her to sit down. When she does, Lena leans it to plant a kiss on her cheek before pouring her some  orange juice in a glass, like she has been doing it every morning.

Kara is sure she was free-falling off the cliff now.

“Well,” she says, watching as Lena sits beside her. “If you’re going to hang out more often around here though and insist on cooking…”

Lena grins. “We could do groceries when you’re free?”

Kara smiles, but remembers Lena’s words from the day before. “You’re not worried about going out with me?”

“I’m not worried about going out with you, silly,” Lena says. “You’re my girlfriend. I’m worried about what dumb comments those tabloids would say. You’d be surprised how creative they can get.”

 _Girlfriend._ Kara’s cheeks hurt from the grin that splits her face. “Your girlfriend, huh?”

Lena laughs. “You can’t take me back because you don’t have a receipt, sorry.”

“Jokes on you,” Kara smirks, “I’m not taking you back.”

When the breakfast Lena made is forgotten, Kara almost feels bad, but Lena says she is forgiven if she kisses her again so she does, over and over until coffee grows cold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, please tweet #SaveODAAT, and if you have time or money to spare, volunteer for and/or donate to [Best Friends Animal Society,](https://bestfriends.org%22) which runs the largest no-kill shelter in America, or [Philippine Pet Birth Control Center Foundation](https://www.facebook.com/PPBCCFoundation/%22) to support free neutering/spaying of cats and dogs in the PH. Lena would approve!
> 
> Let me know what you think!


	5. heaven is betting on us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They get groceries. No plot, just gay activity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First things first: Happiest birthday to the best baby ho, Milly!!!! Love you and I hope you have the best day! 
> 
> Secondly, y’all greet her over at Twitter (@melbnst) or I’m coming to your house and switching your sugar with salt. :)
> 
> Anyway, sorry for the long delay on this update but here you go sdghdkgjdfhglkd. It's gonna get downhill from here (jk maybe idk). Title from Prime Time by Janelle Monáe.

Lena asks Kara out again come Thursday morning.

Or at least, asks her if she was free that Friday night to get groceries, like she suggested the day before. Kara agrees without much of a fuss, which makes Lena laugh softly through the phone.

“You don’t mind a Friday night grocery shopping instead of, I don’t know,” Lena pauses and Kara can imagine the way she shrugs, “a nice night out for dinner or a visit at the club, maybe?”

Kara leans back against the kitchen counter where she was making herself a cup of hot chocolate and smiles at the memory of Lena, laughing with her right _here,_ just the day before. “I don’t mind any of those as long as it’s with you,” she says softly, and when she realizes she is smiling to herself like some lovesick fool, she bites her lip. “That must sound really—”

“Sweet,” Lena assures. “It’s sweet.” Kara could hear the smile in her voice too. “Maybe we can get dinner then as well.”

“Sounds good,” Kara agrees. “I can’t—” She pauses and bites her lip and imagines Lena holding her breath. “I can’t wait to see you.”

Lena’s laugh sounds like hope. “I can’t wait either.”

To say there is lightness in her steps for the rest of the day is an understatement. Her phone calls and Skype meetings are extra cheery, so much so that Winn makes an off-handed remark of _god, you’re so fucking in love_ that almost makes Kara fall off her chair.

Is she?

She may have fleeting thoughts about that. It’s difficult not to get distracted by Lena’s beauty, really, and often times, it was all Kara could do to keep breathing in her presence, much less think. When she does, she thinks of how lovely it could be to always be like _that_ with Lena—happy and weightless, spending time together that Kara wants to freeze in photographs and live on for all moments to come.

So maybe she is. Was it too soon? Maybe. It isn’t like she was asking Lena to get married, right? They could enjoy their time together as is—just them, with those who support them, and despite the constant noise from strangers whose words of hate don’t matter—whether that was in dinners or night outs or, just simply, grocery shopping.

She refreshes her email in hopes from one from Fabray and Co. when Alex calls. Kara answers it with a chipper _hey Alex!_ that has the older Danvers groaning.

“God, you reek with happiness,” Alex says, making Kara laugh.

“Maybe. What’s up?”

“Well, um.” Alex clears her throat. “I was… wondering if you had plans tomorrow night?”

Kara winces. “Yeah, I’m getting groceries with Lena.”

“Oh.” Alex pauses. “Wait. Groceries?”

“Yeah.”

“Is… That like a date?” Alex sounds… confused. “In a supermarket? That’s…”

Kara laughs. “Weird?”

“I was going to say domestic.”

Kara shrugs and laughs again, moving to open Lightroom on her desktop. “I don’t know. It could be. Doesn’t really matter to me, as long as I get to spend time with her.”

“Okay, that just sounds _gay_ ,” Alex muses.

“Rude,” Kara laughs. “Why? Did you want to hang out? I could resche—”

“No, no!” Alex pauses and sighs. “It’s just… Sam invited me to this wine-tasting and you _know_ I love alcohol but I’m terrified I’d get too drunk and blow my chances with her so I wanted you to come to at least be a buffer or something.”

“Sam, huh?” Kara grins. So Lena’s little matchmaking had pushed through. “Alcohol on the first date though? Sounds dangerous.”

“Well.” Alex makes a small sound and Kara almost loses it in her second of silence. “We actually had dinner yesterday.”

“Oh,” Kara breathes, before a slow, victorious grin overtakes her face. “Oh! That’s great, Alex.”

“I know,” Alex says, but with a whine that confuses Kara. “Before you say anything—”

“I wasn't going to!”

“—we just talked,” Alex continues, “and it was a lot of honest things and,” a sigh, “I really like her, Kara. We have a lot of things in common and I think… I think we could give it a shot, you know?”

It all makes sense now, Alex’s worry. Her sister had been wary about dating ever since her break-up with Maggie, always careful about meeting women lest things become _messy_ again after the long time it took for her to pick herself back up, and Kara is glad she found someone she could be brave for.

The younger Danvers smiles. “I think you should,” Kara says. “And I’m sure you’ll be fine, Alex. You just saw each other yesterday and you two want to see each other tomorrow again. I think it’s a pretty good sign.”

“You think?”

Kara can already imagine her sister biting her lip nervously. It’s funny how Kara could only think of her whole _panic_ about Lena, and she wonders if she sounded as frantic as her sister does right now. “Definitely,” she assures. “And maybe sometime soon we can, you know, have a double date or something.”

Alex snorts. “I think _that_ sounds like a disaster in the making.”

“Because I’ll threaten Sam and you’ll threaten Lena?” Kara laughs.

“No, because I barely function in Sam’s presence and I’m pretty sure you stammer like an idiot in Lena’s.” Kara opens her mouth to counter her, but Alex continues. “Ah, don’t try to deny it, Winn told me so.”

 _“Whatever,”_ Kara says firmly with a roll of her eyes. “You’ll be fine, and if you need someone to pick you up _if ever,_ just give me a call, okay?”

“It’s fine, Kar, you and Len—”

 _“Alex,”_ Kara presses on. “Lena will understand, and she’ll probably drive the car to get there.”

Alex laughs. “Yeah, because you can’t drive.”

“You’re the worst,” Kara laughs. “But just call, okay?”

“Yeah. Thanks, Kara. You’re the best.” Alex hums. “Good luck with grocery shopping. Love you.”

Kara snorts and shakes her head fondly. “Love you too, Alex. See you soon!”

Kara ends the call, then sends Lena a quick text.

 _My sister is apparently having_  
a second date tomorrow night  
with Sam.

_Your doing, I assume?_

_It wasn’t difficult to persuade Sam._

_They had a good time yesterday, I’m  
told. Maybe a double date soon?_

_I literally just told Alex the same  
thing! Spooky._

_Get out of my head, Kara Danvers_

Kara laughs, until she receives Lena’s next text:

_Come be in my arms instead._

Kara doesn’t know what to say to that. All she could really do is stare at the text and imagine Lena saying the words—she imagines Lena in bed with her, in her arms, and Kara smiles at the daydream.

Her phone vibrates and she jumps in surprise.

_Too much?_

Kara brushes away the daydream and smiles, lets her entire being be enveloped by warmth and _reality._

_No._

_I can’t wait to see you._

 

*****

Friday is spent working—unwelcome on a weekend, if Kara was honest, but a know-it-all business executive who didn’t know his file formats was a welcome reprieve from the building nerves about hearing again from Quinn. The lack of callback from the publicist makes Kara nervous, but it’s temporarily pacified by Quinn’s message about some last-minute deliberation that makes Kara think that she _is_ still in the list of options. The _Broadway Meets Hollywood_ Project is a star-studded photo shoot that could potentially be bigger than Cat’s lingerie shoot, and one that is Kara eager to hear confirmation—or rejection—from.

She was also looking forward to seeing Lena again. The thought of the woman makes Kara smile, a silence among the voices of doubt in her head. They agree to have Lena pick up Kara at the building where the photographer had a meeting.

Dressed in a simple white tee, black pants and boots made less casual with a blazer, Kara waits by the curb until a black car rolls to a stop in front of her. She remembers the sedan from their first date, black dress and wavy hair, and when the window to the passenger seat rolls down, Kara sees her—Lena is wearing a white shirt, too, with the denim jacket that was definitely Kara’s that never found its way back to its owner. Not that Kara minded. Lena’s hair is down, brushed over her shoulders, and her lips are bright red with _that_ same shade she left on the corner of Kara’s lips after brunch.

It doesn’t get old, seeing Lena: A smile graces Kara’s features as air leaves her lungs and she gives the woman in the driver’s seat a dumb wave.

“Hi.”

“Hey,” Lena greets back with a slightly breathless laugh that makes Kara think she has the same effect on the woman. She reaches out and pushes open the door, then grins. “Get in. We’re going shopping.”

Kara gapes for a moment. “Was that a _Mean Girls_ reference?”

“A what?” Lena asks, confused.

Kara gasps as she climbs into the car and pulls the seat belt across her. “You _haven’t_ seen _Mean Girls?”_

“If that’s a movie, then no, I don’t think I have,” Lena replies.

“You _have_ to see it,” Kara laughs. “It’s a cult classic!”

When Lena glances at her with a heart-stopping smile and a raised eyebrow, Kara thanks god she wasn’t the one driving because they would have crashed otherwise. “Alright, alright," Lena replies. “Maybe it’s on Netflix.”

“We’re definitely checking later,” Kara says.

Lena shakes her had at her, smile firmly in place, as she drives them to the supermarket closest to Kara’s place and they talk about their day. Lena tells her about a day at the lab—which explains her casual wear, she says, and she giggles so innocently when Kara asks if Lena is wearing her denim jacket. Kara tells her of the businessman she did a quick shoot with today for some stock product photos, and shares, too, her nervousness about her pending callback from Quinn Fabray.

“I’m sure it will be fine, Kara,” Lena assures, reaching out for Kara’s fidgeting hand on her lap and squeezing it. The touch has Kara freezing for a moment, blushing, and Lena smiles at her but not in the playful way she usually does—there is understanding in her eyes, like she knows the worry Kara feels. “We should get ice cream. To celebrate.” She glances at Kara knowingly, and Kara catches the words unspoken like they have been together for years.

It’s comforting, yet terrifying all the same, but Kara laughs, worries at bay. “I like the way you think.”

They arrive at the supermarket and park near the entrance. Kara isn’t entirely sure, but she thinks she sees recognition on the faces of the couple she and Lena walk past as they enter the place, and Kara is reminded that right, Lena isn’t just your regular person.

If it isn’t recognition on people’s faces, it’s awe, the same way people react when they walk into a museum and see a masterpiece on display: eyes wide, mouth agape. The supermarket staff putting back the push carts react as much as Lena takes one with a small huff. Kara would have felt possessive, really, but Lena is calling for her softly with that smile that Kara likes to think is just for _her._ The blonde jogs after Lena and puts a hand on the push cart.

“Do you have a grocery list?” Lena asks.

“Oh. Oh, no,” Kara says with a laugh and a fidget of her glasses. “I only have ice cream on that list.”

Lena playfully rolls her eyes but laughs, in that soft way that sets Kara’s stomach alight; or maybe it’s the butterflies. “That’s fine. Let’s just go aisle to aisle.”

Kara nods and grins, then volunteers to push the cart as they weave through the few people also doing their groceries that night. The blonde notices the second-glances thrown at Lena’s way, all of them Lena doesn’t mind. Maybe she is used to the attention. Maybe it’s easier for her this way—to pretend like she is as normal as everyone else when she has her face on platforms and brands like a celebrity.

She  _is_ a celebrity, Kara reminds herself. A beautiful, down-to-earth one that for some reason is getting groceries, of all things, with Kara, of all people.

Grocery shopping was something Kara used to enjoy, back when she was younger and she would do it with Eliza and Alex. Much later, when adulthood came, it became more of a chore—instead of the fun way she and Alex would argue on which cereal variant to get, she would have to weigh the consequences of getting cereal and bread today and skipping other necessities, like coffee and butter or something else. She had bills to pay and savings to save, after all.

Lena, however, doesn’t seem to care about that that. _Family money,_ Kara remembers. Lena picks Kara’s brand of coffee on the shelf and looks to the blonde for approval. “Your coffee back home would last two more days,” she says, and Kara laughs.

“Or half a day. I consume more coffee than needed if I have to work.”

“I hope you hydrate properly,” Lena says with a worried look. She walks forward, half-dragging the cart as Kara pushes it lightly.

Kara nervously chuckles. “I mean. I try.”

Lena pauses in front of the shelf of sugar and raises an eyebrow at Kara. “You just signed up for annoying text messages reminding you to drink water, Ms. Danvers,” she says, quite seriously, before taking a bag of sugar from the shelf and adding it to the cart.

Kara stares at her, amused. “Any excuse to get you to text me more, _Ms. Luthor,”_ she teases.

Lena shakes her head, but Kara thinks she sees a blush dust those pale cheeks. The blonde smiles in victory and follows Lena round to the next aisle. She makes a soft squeal when her eyes land on her favorite cereal: Fruity Pebbles. Lena looks at her curiously but Kara only grins before taking two of the boxes and dumping them on the cart.

Lena raises an eyebrow. “That’s…”

“The best cereal on the planet?” Kara beams. “Yes.”

“I was going to say a lot of sugar, darling,” Lena says with a laugh, and if she noticed the term of endearment, it doesn’t show. Instead, she pulls the cart forward as if she hasn’t just made Kara’s heart stop with one simple word. “We’re getting you  _actual_ fruits. For nutrition,” Lena continues, and it takes a moment for Kara to collect herself, even as her heart pounds in her ears.  

“Sugar is nutrition,” Kara grumbles. “But fine.”

And then Lena laughs, soft and warm, and Kara thinks she hasn’t seen her as attractive like this; sure, she has seen Lena in practically nothing, has seen wearing _nothing,_ but Lena in her denim jacket and with happiness in her eyes, laughter on her lips that _Kara_ caused, pulling forward a cart full of breakfast food that is more a promise of many mornings together than anything—this Lena is more beautiful than ever, in Kara’s eyes, Aphrodite herself be damned. Her hand itches to take a photo of her, in this moment, but she burns the memory of Lena and happiness in the back of her mind.

“You’re adorable,” Lena grins, and she walks on to the next aisle, leaving Kara to wonder if she is aware of destruction and rebirth she left on her wake.

Kara swallows thickly and sets aside her… thoughts and feelings for later contemplation. Instead, she follows Lena to the next aisle and sees the woman checking the various pasta displayed on the shelf.

“What’s your favorite?” Lena asks her, a fond look in her eyes like she _knows._

“Um. I like—” Kara pauses when she feels her phone vibrating in her pocket. Dread and anxiety sinks on her, almost automatically, and Lena seems to notice because she steps closer to the blonde just as Kara fishes her phone from her pocket.

_Quinn Fabray._

“Can I take thi—”

“You should take that,” Lena says, and Kara mouths a _thank you_ before accepting the call.

Kara doesn’t hear much above her pounding heartbeat. Lena holds her free hand, though, and looks at her with worry, and Kara feels close to passing out until she hears Quinn say _congratulations._

“Wait. I got the project?” Kara blurts out. She grips Lena’s hand and looks at her, and there is pride in green eyes that Kara feels far too full in this moment.

Quinn laughs on the other line. “Yes, you did, Kara. I’m sorry for the late notice.”

“Please don’t be,” Kara laughs, “I’m really happy you called.”

“And I’m happy to welcome you to the team. Wait for an email by next week regarding the timelines.”

“Sure, of course! Thanks again, Quinn.”

“No problem,” Quinn replies. “Have a great rest of your weekend, Kara.”

“You too,” Kara says. Even as Quinn ends the call, she stares at her phone for a few more seconds in disbelief.

Lena breaks her reverie. “Kara?” She says softly. “You okay?”

Kara turns her attention to Lena once more, and there it is again—the feeling of fullness, of weightlessness, and before Kara could help herself she is pulling Lena in a tight hug as she laughs.

“I got the project!”

And Lena sinks into her, pride and happiness all the same as she laughs, arms wrapping around Kara like they are the only to people in the world, like the old woman in aisle 8 looking at them oddly doesn’t exist.  

“I knew you would,” Lena whispers, “congratulations, darling.”

She squeezes Kara in her arms, and Kara doesn’t think she has ever felt so _whole._

 

*****

They finish groceries and made sure to grab celebratory ice cream on their way. They also took home two boxes of pizza from the Italian kiosk in the supermarket, and Kara doesn’t even wait before they get back to her apartment because she is _hungry, Lena, that was the most stressful wait of my life,_ and Lena just laughs and tells her to keep her greasy hands off the dashboard.

When they get to Kara’s apartment, paper bags of groceries in tow, Kara can’t help but think of many more days like this—the thoughts are unstoppable at this rate, since she acknowledged the first one, like a snowball moving down a mountain and its only acceptable fate is roll off to the nearest cliff.

And maybe Kara doesn’t mind it that much. Not when Lena puts the coffee jar in the cupboard like she has been in Kara’s apartment for far longer than she actually has, not when she takes two mugs and spoons from the dish rack so they can watch _Mean Girls_ while eating cheap pizza and ice cream, not when Lena leans into her like second home.

Midway through the movie, Lena’s phone vibrates quietly on the coffee table. Lena gives it a glance and ignores it; Kara catches the name _Lillian_ on the screen before Lena turns it off.

“You’re not going to get that?” Kara asks softly.

Lena shrugs and spoons some chocolate chip ice cream into her mouth. “It’s just my mother,” she says. “She’s been calling nonstop since… well, the  _news_ broke out.” A small laugh. “She seems to forget I’m actually gay when I’m not dating anyone, so the news was an awful reminder that probably shook her off her high horse and now she’s after me.”

Kara nods slowly at that. She remembers the tabloid headlines, about the _blonde photographer._ “She sounds fun.”

“Well.” Lena sighs. “You do have to meet her if you want to see the Luthor gardens. Or if you still plan on _wifing_ me.” She turns to Kara with a smirk—there it is, the playful, satisfied smirk that Kara wants to kiss away.

The blonde blushes and laughs lightly. “You will have to meet my mom, too, you know.”

Lena laughs at that, heartfelt and happy. “Okay, fair point. Maybe.” She smiles mysteriously, sending the butterflies in Kara’s stomach alive once more. “When we get there.”

They share a laugh and the rest of the pizza—mostly eaten by Kara, of course—and by the end of the movie, it’s Kara’s phone that vibrates three times with messages in her group chat with Alex, Brainy, and Winn.

Kara almost drops her phone. The messages are tabloid links, Alex's  _look what Sam found_ and Winn's frantic _I KNEW I HEARD WEDDING BELLS_  so Kara doesn’t have a good feeling about them. The first link that Kara opens has her gaping. It’s photos of her and Lena at the supermarket, laughing and talking, and if they weren’t from a paparazzi, Kara would admit they looked _cute_ together.

The next one has a photo of their hug—an intimate-looking hug, really, and Kara swallows at the building annoyance as she reads the headline:

_Model Lena Luthor and photographer lover getting hitched?_

Lena laughs. When Kara looks at her, she’s smiling at her phone like she’s amused, then lifts her phone to show the blonde.

“Seems like we’re already there, Kara.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes that line up there was a reference to SHAfD hello faberry shippers let me hear you make some noise!!! *cue ugly sobbing*


End file.
